Star college gymnast, 21, shot dead in off campus home, 23-year-old boyfriend arrested

Loved ones are completely shattered by the “heartbreaking” death of Kara Welsh, a 21-year-old star gymnast, who was shot to death 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 “beats” himself up for not sharing “just one more” moment that maybe “could change” what happened.

Keep reading to learn about Welsh’s tragic death.

On Saturday August 31, Sierra Brooks learned Kara Welsh, her best friend and former teammate, was shot to death the night before.

“I can’t even wrap my head around how someone could do this, let alone to such a beautiful person,” she writes in a tribute to the 21-year-old Welsh, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) student who was majoring in business and economics.

Welsh, a gymnast, also won an individual title on the vault in 2023.

According to a statement, the student, from Plainfield, Illinois, was found dead in an off-campus apartment about 11:54 p.m. on August 30.

She was shot multiple times.

When police arrived, a 23-year-old male who was known to Welsh was also in the home and “it was determined that leading up to the shooting, an altercation had occurred between the two.”

‘Heartbreaking’

“Absolutely heartbreaking to receive a phone call like this one. Kara, you deserved the world and more,” shares Brooks, who in her earlier years trained with Welsh at the Aspire Gymnastics Academy. “Wish I could just see you one more time. Wish I could laugh with you just one more time. Wish I could hug you one more time.”

Aspire also shared several photos of the star gymnast along with a touching tribute for the young woman on their Facebook site.

“As Kara grew, so did Aspire. She was a constant in a sport that is filled with ups and downs. She was full of life and full of personality,” the training center writes. “Kara had a way of communicating through facial expressions that was second to none. Aspire lost a piece of its heart today. Kara, we love you.”

Corey King, chancellor at UWW, released a statement on August 31 and calling Welsh “a standout member of the Warhawk gymnastics team,” he shares that “news of Kara’s death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community.”

“I hate that evil touched this sweet girl’s life,” writes a friend on Facebook, who shares the tribute posted by Aspire. Referring to Welsh’s sister Kaeli, the netizen continues, “The Welsh girls showed us how to be gym sisters but so much more. Kara was all heart. The loss is unfathomable.”

‘I beat myself up’

Police have not yet released the name of the suspect as he has not yet been officially charged.

But friends reveal the pair were dating, and the man, identified as Chad Richards, was helping Welsh move into her apartment.

“Sometimes I beat myself up, if I was able to see them that day maybe…just one more joke one more memory we could make…could change…” says Brayten Wilkerson, a friend of both Welsh and the suspect, who was a member of UWW wrestling team. Speaking with 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.”

Elliot Page reveals how he responds to people who misgender him

The actor revealed his gender identity on Instagram in 2020 with a poignant statement, and he has since talked about his experiences since changing.
Elliott Page talked about his response to individuals inadvertently misgendering him.

Following his transgender announcement in 2020, Page has been transparent about his journey through transition, including the touchy subject of misgender identity.

The celebrity has been outspoken about his transition, sharing on social media images of his top surgery scars and regularly bringing attention to the difficulties faced by transgender persons.
Though Page said that occasionally it can become more unpleasant when someone overreacts to their own honest error, being inadvertently misgendering oneself can be a challenging moment for a trans or non-binary person.

He stated, “In those situations, I know the intent of people close to me in my life who are wanting to get it right,” in an interview with Variety in 2023. I don’t get offended if someone misgenders me.”
“It’s wonderful when someone goes to apologize,” he continued. However, let’s go on to the following phase of our conversation.Let’s move on before this becomes more complicated, concerning the misgendering perpetrator, and involves a different kind of energy.”

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Regarding the best ways for individuals to assist their trans friends, family members, or coworkers, Page emphasized that awareness and empathy are key.

There are numerous resources available to learn more about transgender persons and the realities of our experiences, he stated. Questions aren’t always bad, but there are situations, locations, contexts, and tones in which they should be asked.
In the end, Page’s remarks demonstrate that if being mistakenly misgender was the largest issue trans people faced, the world would be a lot better place.

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Transgender individuals are particularly susceptible to mental health issues, homelessness, and employment difficulties.
Additionally, for some trans individuals, intersectional variables like racism, disability, and class make this worse.

Some health organizations, including the UK’s, have guidelines that imply people should consider transitioning as a means of easing the symptoms of mental health issues like depression.
Consequently, rather of offering care that is gender affirming, they could attempt to “treat” this.
Remorse for gender affirming surgeries is among the lowest of all surgical procedures, much lower than those of common operations like hip replacements.
Transgender individuals who receive care that is gender affirming report significant improvements in their mental health, despite the discrimination and risk that comes with transitioning.
The lesson here is to simply apologize and move on if you inadvertently misidentify a transgender or non-binary individual. Most likely, they are more concerned with other matters.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT national hotline at 888-843-4564, available Monday to Friday 4pm-12am ET and 12pm-5pm ET on Saturdays.

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