UW-Whitewater fatal shooting of gymnast; suspect identified
WHITEWATER, Wis. - The Whitewater Police Department identified on Tuesday, Sept. 3 the suspect accused of fatally shooting UW-Whitewater student, Kara Welsh.
The accused, 23-year-old Chad Richards of Loves Park, Illinois, appeared in court by video on Tuesday. He is being held at the Walworth County Jail on $1 million cash bond. Richards' attorney said his client is also a student at UW-Whitewater.
Chad Richards
Welsh was shot and killed in downtown Whitewater late Friday night, Aug. 30. Police say Richards and Welsh knew each other – and got into some sort of fight before the shooting.
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Kara Welsh
While charges are not officially filed against Richards, the Whitewater Police Department forwarded the following charges to the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office:
- First-Degree Intentional Homicide
- Endangering Safety by the Use of a Dangerous Weapon
- Disorderly Conduct while Armed
Just before midnight Friday, police said they were called to an apartment near Whitewater and Main for an "apparent homicide." Investigators said Kara Welsh of Plainfield, Illinois was found dead, shot multiple times. Welsh was just 21 years old.
Whitewater fatal shooting investigation
In court Tuesday, Welsh's older sister addressed the court.
"There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for her, so I will be here to fight for her just as hard she would’ve fought for me," said Kaeli Welsh, Kara's older sister.
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The prosecutor handling this case indicated charges for Richards will likely go through on Friday. In the meantime, he wanted a "no contact" order for the camps – and the judge agreed.
Anyone with information relevant to this investigation should contact the Whitewater Police Department at 262-473-0555 (Option 4). Anonymous tips may also be shared using P3Tips.com.