WHITEWATER, Wis.—A 23-year-old man has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the fatal shooting of a national gymnastics champion in his apartment near the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus.
Chad Richards made an initial appearance Friday via video in Walworth County Court.
Kara Welsh, 21, suffered multiple gunshot wounds following an altercation Aug. 30, according to a criminal complaint.
She was found in a pool of blood after Richards called 911. He told investigators that the two were arguing when he said Welsh grabbed his gun from a nightstand. Richards said he wrestled the gun away and shot Welsh because he “feared for his life,” the complaint continued.
Police found a handgun and shell casings on the apartment floor. Richards later was arrested. He told investigators that Welsh was his girlfriend.
The Associated Press left a message Friday afternoon seeking comment from Richards’s attorney, Gibson Hatch.
Richards was being held on a $1 million bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 28.
Richards, of Loves Park, Illinois, was listed on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 2021–22 wrestling team roster.
Welsh, who was from Plainfield, Illinois, was majoring in management in the school’s College of Business and Economics. She was a member of the Warhawk gymnastics team and last year took the individual national title on vault at the NCAA Division III championships.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus is about 50 miles west of Milwaukee.