Suspect arrested in connection with killing of gymnastics champion at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

WHITEWATER, Wis. — A suspect has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a national gymnastics champion in an apartment near the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus, police said.

Kara Welsh, a 21-year-old student studying management in the school's business department, was killed Friday night, Whitewater police said. The suspect, a 23-year-old man, was arrested at the scene and is being held in the Walworth County Jail.

In a news release posted online Saturday, police did not describe what led to the shooting, saying only that Welsh and the suspect knew each other and that there had been an argument between the two.

Police have asked the Walworth County District Attorney's Office to consider charging the suspect with first-degree premeditated murder, endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct while armed.

The investigation is ongoing, but police have not released any further information.

Welsh, of Plainfield, Illinois, was a member of the Warhawk gymnastics team and won the individual national title on vault at last year's NCAA Division III championships, the university said in a statement.

“We know the news of Kara's death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community. It is a time when we are all called to support one another, process the death and grieve,” said Corey King, chancellor of UW-Whitewater. The campus is located about 50 miles west of Milwaukee.

The university is offering counseling to the school's gymnastics team and coaches, and school staff plans to offer additional support and flexibility to students on Tuesday before classes begin.

“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of one of our own,” the school’s gymnastics team said on Facebook.