Ex-College Wrestler Allegedly Said He Shot And Killed Gymnast Girlfriend In Self-Defense

A former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestler who was arrested in August in the killing of his girlfriend, a gymnast for the university, allegedly said he shot her in self-defense.

Chad Richards, 23, was arrested on Aug. 31 after his girlfriend, Kara Welsh, 21, was found dead in his off-campus apartment with multiple gunshot wounds, Whitewater police announced at the time. Richards’ charges include first-degree intentional homicide and disorderly conduct while armed.

A newly released complaint obtained by outlets including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel describes the moments officers arrived to the scene and found Welsh “lying on the floor in a pool of blood.”

Richards told police that he and Welsh had had an argument in the bedroom, and that she grabbed his handgun from a nightstand, the Journal Sentinel reported. Richards allegedly said he wrestled the gun from his girlfriend and fired it “because he feared for his life,” according to Fox 6.

Authorities said they found 11 spent casings at the scene of the shooting, and a medical examiner determined that Welsh suffered eight gunshot wounds, according to the Journal Sentinel. The criminal complaint says she was shot multiple times while in a fetal position, CBS 58 reported.

According to the university’s athletics page, Richards was majoring in finance and wrestled for the university’s team from 2020 to 2022.

Welsh’s coach, Jen Regan, described her as “a powerful athlete, dedicated teammate, and the light in everyone’s dark days” in a statement released by the school.

“There are no words to describe the void we all feel in our hearts, but Kara’s legacy will live on through Warhawk gymnastics forever,” Regan said.

Welsh had been majoring in business management and won a national vault title in 2023, according to the school’s statement.

Her family friends have launched a GoFundMe on behalf of her mother, where they described the shooting as a “heartless act of violence.” The page has raised more than $50,000.

An attorney listed as representing Richards did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. Richards is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 28.

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