College gymnast Kara Welsh, 21, who won national title, is fatally shot near Wisconsin campus, cops say

A man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnast Kara Welsh in an apartment off campus, authorities said.

Welsh, who won an individual national title on the vault for the gymnastics team last year, was allegedly shot multiple times by a 23-year-old man at an apartment about a block from the university’s main campus Friday, police said.

Police have not released the name of the suspect, but they said they believe she knew him.

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The nature of their relationship was not clear.

Police said officers arrived just before midnight Friday and found Welsh dead with multiple gunshot wounds.

“Also present in the apartment was a 23-year-old male who was known to the deceased female,” the statement said.

“Through investigation, it was determined that leading up to the shooting, an altercation had occurred between the two.”

The man was arrested and charged with first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by the use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct while armed, the police said in another statement.

The investigation is ongoing, they added.

Welsh was heading into her senior year at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she was majoring in management while also on the school’s Warhawk gymnastics team.

University Chancellor Corey King announced Welsh’s death Saturday in a message to students and faculty.

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“Kara Welsh, age 21, from Plainfield, Illinois, died in a shooting off campus on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024,” he wrote.

“Kara was majoring in management in our College of Business and Economics and was a standout member of the Warhawk gymnastics team, winning an individual national title on the vault in 2023.

“We know the news of Kara’s death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community.

“It is a time when we are all called upon to support one another, to process, and to grieve.”

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He added that counseling services will be made available to UW-Whitewater students, faculty and staff and that the school’s flag will fly at half-staff in Welsh’s memory Sept. 3, when the fall semester begins.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help her parents, Nancy and Tom Welsh, and sister, Kaeli.

“Kara was a daughter, sister, dear friend and teammate who grew up in Plainfield, Illinois,” it read.

“Kara had a unique ability to bring joy to any person she crossed paths with, always putting a smile on people’s faces with her sense of humor, unwavering support and sweet disposition.

“Kara, 21 years old, was excited to be in her rising senior year as a gymnast at UW-Whitewater which was abruptly cut short on August 30th, by a heartless act of violence. We are completely heartbroken for our beloved Welsh family — Nancy, Tom, and Kaeli as they navigate this incredibly difficult time.”