WHITEWATER, Wis. — Police have arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with the shooting death of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student.
21-year-old Kara Welsh of Plainfield, Illinois, died from gunshot injuries in the late evening on August 30. Police found her deceased when they arrived at an apartment near Whitewater Street and Forest Avenue near the university’s campus in Whitewater.
The 23-year-old male suspect was known to Welsh, and the preliminary investigation found that the shooting was a result of an altercation between the two.
The suspect is currently in the Walworth County Jail with charges pending for first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by the use of a dangerous weapon, and disorderly conduct while armed.
In a statement on the university’s website, UW-Whitewater Chancellor Corey King said Welsh was majoring in management and a “standout member of the Warhawk gymnastics team, winning an individual national title on the vault in 2023.”
He has also directed the UW-Whitewater flag to be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, September 3 in Welsh’s memory. Students and staff needing counseling support are directed to campus services.
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.
