Police have arrested a man on suspicion of shooting and killing a former national title-winning gymnast from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Friday night, authorities said.
Police said the suspect, a 23-year-old man, is accused of shooting and killing 21-year-old Kara Welsh after an argument at an apartment near campus. Press StatementAccording to the statement, officers responded to a report of a person who had been shot multiple times and found Welsh dead and the suspect, an acquaintance of Welsh, inside the apartment. (Related article: Rice University student found dead in dorm room, held captive)
A man has been arrested in the shooting death of a former national title-winning University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnast near the school's campus, police said. https://t.co/JHuTQ2wUX6
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 2, 2024
“Through the investigation, it was discovered that there was an altercation between two individuals leading up to the shooting,” police said.
The murder is believed to have happened at an off-campus apartment building about a mile east of the university's main campus. NBC News reported..
Known as a “phenom” on the vault, Welsh holds multiple school records and won the national title on the individual vault last year. statement The announcement was made by the university's athletic department.
“Words cannot express the impact Kara has had on the Warhawk community,” said Head Coach Jen Regan. “A strong athlete, a dedicated teammate and a light on everyone's dark days, Kara truly uplifted each and every one of us as Warhawk gymnasts. Words cannot express the emptiness we all feel in our hearts, but Kara's legacy will live on forever through Warhawk gymnastics.”
“I know the news of Kara's death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community,” university President Corey King said. message “This is a time that calls for all of us to support one another, to accept and to grieve,” he said Saturday.
According to NBC News, the suspect was booked into the Walworth County Jail on suspicion of first-degree intentional murder, endangering safety while armed and disorderly conduct while armed.
It was unclear whether the suspect remained in custody, the media reported.
a GoFundMe The Athletic Department said a page had been set up for Wales.
