Loved ones are devastated by the “heartbreaking” death of Kara Welsh, a 21-year-old elite gymnast who was shot by a man identified by college friends as her boyfriend. The national champion, who earned her title on August 30th, was found dead in their off-campus apartment. A friend of the couple shared that he is “struggling” with not having spent “one more moment” that could have “changed” what happened. Read on to learn more about Welsh’s tragic death on Saturday, the 31st.
On August 1st, Sierra Brooks learned that her best friend and former teammate, Kara Welsh, had been shot the previous night. “I can’t even fathom how someone could do something like this, let alone to someone so beautiful,” she wrote in a tribute to Welsh, 21, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) who was studying economics and business administration. Welsh, a gymnast, also earned an individual vault title in 2023. “Sometimes I blame myself when I think, ‘What if?’ I saw her that day, maybe… just one more joke, one more memory we could have created… could change everything…” said Brayten Wilkerson, a friend of both Welsh and the suspect, who was a member of the UWW wrestling team. Speaking to WISN, an ABC affiliate, Wilkerson added: “Kara was a sweetheart. She was one of the best people anyone could meet.
Her family did an amazing job raising her—a wonderful woman.” Meanwhile, the organizer of a GoFundMe campaign said that family members are “deeply saddened” by Welsh’s death. “Kara had a unique ability to bring joy to everyone she met and always made people smile with her sense of humor, unwavering support, and kindness.” Kara, 21, was excited to begin her senior year as a gymnast at UW-Whitewater, which was abruptly cut short by a senseless act of violence on August 30th.
The Whitewater police stated that charges of first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon, and disorderly conduct while armed will be referred to the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office.
