Kara Welsh
Courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
A Plainfield woman who was a student and standout gymnast at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was shot to death Friday, officials said.
Kara Welsh, 21, was found just before midnight in an off-campus apartment and had been shot multiple times, according to the Whitewater Police Department.
Police also found a 23-year-old man in the apartment. Welsh and the man had been in a fight before shots were fired, police said.
The man was arrested on charges of first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon, and disorderly conduct while armed. He is being held in the Walworth County Jail, according Whitewater police.
There is an ongoing investigation, and no further information was available as of Sunday morning.
Welsh was majoring in management at the UW-Whitewater 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, according to the university.
“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,” University Chancellor Corey King stated in a release from the university. “I have directed that the UW-Whitewater flag fly at half-staff on Tuesday, Sept. 3, in Kara’s memory.”
“To put into words the impact Kara had on the Warhawk community is impossible,” UW-Whitewater gymnastics coach Jen Regan said in a statement posted on the university website. “A powerful athlete, dedicated teammate, and the light in everyone’s dark days, Kara truly lifted each and every one of us up in her time as a Warhawk gymnast. There are no words to describe the void we all feel in our hearts, but Kara’s legacy will live on through Warhawk gymnastics forever.”
“Kara was a true Warhawk — an amazing person, student and athlete,” Athletic Director Ryan Callahan said. “We are all lucky to have spent time with her over the past three years. She was selfless and made everyone around her better. Our hearts go out to her mom, Nancy, and the rest of her family and friends.”
As a freshman, Welsh led the Warhawks to a second-place finish in the WIAC Championship after tying for second on the vault. In her first National Collegiate Gymnastics Association Championship appearance, Welsh tied for third on the vault to earn All-America honors, according to the university.
In 2023, Welsh won the vault title at the WIAC Championship meet and qualified for nationals as an individual. She went on to win the national title in the event with a score of 9.825, according to the university.
Welsh was set to begin her senior year at UW-Whitewater on Tuesday.
Welsh graduated from Plainfield Central High School in 2021 and trained at Aspire Gymnastics Academy in Joliet under coach Nick Becker.
Aspire and Becker posted a tribute to Welsh on Facebook Sunday.
“Kara Welsh was an integral part of Aspire,” the gym’s tribute said. “As Kara grew, so did Aspire. She was a constant in a sport that is filled with ups and downs. She was full of life and full of personality. Kara had a way of communicating through facial expressions that was second to none.
“Through the years we had the opportunity to watch Kara become a wonderful woman who pushed herself to succeed at UW-Whitewater in the gym and in the classroom. We’re so thankful we got to see Kara multiple times this summer as she came in to train while back home. Aspire lost a piece of its heart today. Kara, we love you. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nancy, Tom, and Kaeli, as well as the rest of her Aspire and Warhawk families.”