Man charged with shooting and killing UW-Whitewater gymnast Kara Welsh
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Rockford area man has been charged with shooting and killing a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnast from Plainfield last week, during a fight at an off-campus apartment.
Chad T. Richards, 23, of Loves Park, Illinois, just north of Rockford, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by the use of a dangerous weapon, and disorderly conduct while armed, according to Whitewater police.
Richards was due to appear in court Tuesday in Walworth County, Wisconsin.
He is accused of shooting and killing 21-year-old Kara Welsh at an off-campus apartment on Friday night near the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Welsh was set to begin her senior year at UW-Whitewater on Tuesday. The school has ordered flags flown at half-staff in her memory and will offer grief counseling to coaches and members of her gymnastics team.
She was a standout on the vault, and according to those who knew her, so much more. Friends and neighbors spent their Labor Day coming together to pay tribute to Welsh on Monday.
Sarah Torello and Nicole Conrad said they've known Welsh since they were in preschool in Plainfield, and said even at a young age, Welsh was doing flips and even teaching them how to do a backflip on a trampoline.
Torello now relies on her fond memories of how Welsh was the light in every room.
"She was the good in every memory that we all have growing up. So we're just trying to remember her through the good parts," Torello said.
