Kara Welsh was 21 and a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater when she was killed on the night of August 30, 2024. A celebrated gymnast from Plainfield, Illinois, she had won a national vault title in 2023 and earned two All-American honors. Teammates and coaches remembered her as a powerful athlete and a bright presence on the team.

Police were called to an off-campus apartment in Whitewater just before midnight and found Kara deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. Present at the scene and arrested was 23-year-old Chad T. Richards of Loves Park, Illinois, a former university wrestler. According to the criminal complaint, Richards told investigators he and Kara were arguing, that she grabbed his gun from a nightstand, and that he wrestled it away and shot her because he feared for his life.

Richards was charged with first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon, and disorderly conduct while armed, with bond set at $1 million. He pleaded not guilty and was bound over for trial; the case has been postponed several times and as of June 2026 the trial was scheduled to begin in November 2026.

If anyone knew Kara, her routines, or was in the Whitewater area that night, what can be shared to help clarify what happened?