A 23-year-old Illinois man was charged in court Tuesday in the death of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnast Kara Welsh, who was shot and killed last Friday.
Welsh, 21, from Plainfield, Illinois, was killed in an apartment about a mile away from campus.
Chad T. Richards appeared in court for the first time Tuesday, where a judge upheld a bond of $1 million, citing a significant flight risk.
Richards faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon, and disorderly conduct while armed, according to the Whitewater Police Department. A preliminary hearing for Richards will be held on Friday, Sept. 6.
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Welsh was a two-time Division III All-American. She won the 2023 individual national championship in vault and helped lead the team to a runner-up finish earlier this year.
Shocked, saddened, and scared are three words UW-Whitewater students like Olivia Roth used to describe the loss of one of their well-known classmates.
“I can’t even imagine being a freshman coming in and this being your first introduction to life on campus,” Roth said. “I think it’s really scary."
"I know gun violence is a huge issue all across America," she added. "But you never really think that it’s going to affect somewhere you live until it happens."
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Ryan Callahan is UW-Whitewater’s athletic director. He got to know Welsh during her three years as a Warhawk.
“For a lot of our community that is impacted by this, this is the first tragic event that they’ve ever had in their lives,” Callahan said.
“When you look back at the greats of whoever put on a Warhawk uniform or leotard specific to gymnastics, Kara’s going to be on that list. One of the best ever," he said.
Welsh’s teammates, coaching staff, and family met with counselors on Saturday to process and grieve the loss of a loved one. Callahan says those services are available for anyone who needs them at UW-Whitewater.
The university says flags will fly at half-staff on campus to honor Welsh’s life and her many contributions to UW-Whitewater.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Milwaukee.
