Loved ones are reeling from the “heartbreaking” death of Kara Welsh, a 21-year-old elite gymnast who was shot and killed by a man identified by college friends as her boyfriend.The national champion was found dead in her off-campus apartment on August 30, and a friend of the couple says he’s “beating himself up” for not sharing “one more” moment that could perhaps “change” what happened.Read on to learn more about Welsh’s tragic death.On Saturday, August 31, Sierra Brooks learned that Kara Welsh, her best friend and former teammate, had been shot and killed the night before.”I can’t even imagine how someone could do something like that, let alone to such a beautiful person,” she writes in a tribute to 21-year-old Welsh, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) student studying economics and business administration.
Welsh, a gymnast, also won an individual title on vault in 2023. “Sometimes I blame myself, if I could have seen her that day, maybe… just one more joke, one more memory we could make… could change everything…” says Brayten Wilkerson, a friend of both Welsh and the suspect who was a member of the UWW wrestling team. Speaking to ABC affiliate WISN, Wilkerson continues, “Kara was a sweetheart. She was one of the best people you could meet.
Her family did a great job raising her – a wonderful woman.”Meanwhile, the organizer of a GoFundMe says relatives are “deeply saddened” by Welsh’s death. “Kara had the unique ability to bring joy to everyone she met and always put a smile on people’s faces with her sense of humor, unwavering support and kind nature.”Kara, 21, was excited to be in her upcoming senior year as a gymnast at UW-Whitewater, which was abruptly ended by a heartless act of violence on August 30.
“Whitewater police said charges of first-degree premeditated murder, endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct while armed “will be forwarded to the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office.”
