WALWORTH COUNTY — A 23-year-old Illinois man appeared in court Tuesday in the death of UW-Whitewater gymnast Kara Welsh, who was shot and killed last Friday.
Welsh, 21, of Plainfield, Illinois, was killed in an apartment about a mile away from campus.
Chad T. Richards appeared in court Tuesday, where a judge upheld a bond of $1 million, citing a significant flight risk.
Though Richards has not been officially charged, the Whitewater Police Department recommended these charges to the District Attorney:
-First-degree intentional homicide
-Endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon
-Disorderly conduct while armed.
The DA expects to file a criminal complaint by Richards’ next court date on Friday, September 6.
As Richards appeared in court by video, Welsh's family sat in the front row of the court room.
With her mother by her side, Welsh's older sister, Kaeli, shared a written impact statement that shared more about who her sister was.
"My little sister, Kara, was the light of my life," said Welsh. "She was always smiling, always knew just what to say to make people laugh and was my overall favorite person on the planet."
Through tears, Welsh went on to say of her sister, "l've heard many people talk about Kara's sports accolades, which do deserve to be celebrated— but she had so much more to give to the world aside from gymnastics. There was nothing that Kara couldn't do. My worst fear has always been losing my best friend. Now that it has happened, I will not stop fighting for her and telling her story to anyone and everyone who will listen."
Kara Welsh was a two-time Division III All-American. She won the 2023 individual national championship in vault and helped lead the team to a runner-up finish earlier this year.
Watch: UW-Whitewater students mourn loss of Kara Welsh:
Shocked, saddened, and scared are three words UW-Whitewater students like Olivia Roth use to describe the loss of one of their well-known classmates.
“I can’t even imagine being a freshman coming in and this being your first introduction to life on campus,” said Olivia Roth. “I think it’s really scary."
"I know gun violence is a huge issue all across America, but you never really think that it’s going to affect somewhere you live until it happens,” Roth added.
Ryan Callahan is UW-Whitewater’s athletic director. He got to know Welsh during her three years as a Warhawk.
“For a lot of our community that is impacted by this, this is the first tragic event that they’ve ever had in their lives,” said Callahan. “A lot of it, this is the first time.”
“When you look back at the greats of whoever put on a Warhawk uniform or leotard specific to gymnastics, Kara’s going to be on that list. One of the best ever," Callahan said.
Welsh’s teammates, coaching staff, and family met with counselors on Saturday to process and grieve the loss of a loved one. Callahan says those services are available for anyone who needs them at UW-Whitewater.
The university says flags will fly at half-staff on campus to honor Welsh’s life and her many contributions to UW-Whitewater.
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