WASHINGTON — A 23-year-old man has been identified as the suspect arrested in the shooting death of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnast Kara Welsh.
The Whitewater Police Department on Tuesday identified the suspect as Chad T. Richards from Loves Park, Illinois. According to authorities, Richards was arrested at the scene after Welsh was killed Friday night at an apartment near campus.
Richards was a former wrestler at the school from 2020 to 2022, during his freshman and sophomore years, according to the team's online roster.
He appeared in court Tuesday afternoon by video link from custody, according to local media. During the court appearance, it was stated that Richards was still a student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The judge upheld a bond of $1 million, citing a significant flight risk. He's scheduled to appear in court again Friday for his initial appearance.
In a news release posted online Saturday, police did not describe what led to the deadly shooting, except to say that Welsh and Richards knew each other and that there had been an altercation between the two. Further details have not been released.
Welsh, a 21-year-old student who was majoring in management in the school’s College of Business and Economics, was a member of the Warhawk gymnastics team and last year won the individual national title on vault at the NCAA Division III championships, the university said in a statement.
The Whitewater Police have recommended to the Walworth County District Attorney's Office that Richards be charged with first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by the use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct while armed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
