On August 30, 2024, Kara Welsh, a gymnast from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, succumbed to injuries she sustained from the firearm incident carried out by none other than her alleged boyfriend, Chad T. Richards, after an altercation at a campus-area apartment.
At first, the police did not release any information about the suspect they arrested, stating it was an active investigation.
Later, they released the suspect’s identity as Chad T. Richards, a 23-year-old man who knew the victim, Kara Welsh.
In addition to that, rumors began spreading online that the suspect, Chad Richards, was Kara Welsh’s boyfriend.
Following the news of her demise, several people took to social media to express their condolences and raise concerns about the suspect.
Friends of Chad Richards claimed online that he was always into violence and often joked about firearms use!
Taking to the Reddit thread, one Redditor who says to be friends with Chad Richards since high school made some alarming revelations about the suspect.
Redditor @BackgroundOption2594 wrote, “I have been acquainted with the suspect since high school, we went to high school together in the same grade…“
He revealed that Chad Richards, also a whitewater wrestling athlete, is indeed the boyfriend of Kara Welsh.
saw someone post this on Reddit. pic.twitter.com/t4ehAHiHWF
— haji 🍀 (@slide4Haji) September 3, 2024
The user also revealed the name of the suspect and stated that Chad was always joking about violence. Chad also reportedly joked about having weapons like machetes and barbed wire-wrapped baseball bats in the backseat of his car.
The user stated, “(He) always waiting for someone to test him even though not many would due to his stature and fighting experience. My friends and I predicted something like this happening for a long time but didn’t think it would go this far or be this messed up.“
Chad reportedly got his firearms license a couple of months ago and took a concealed carry class immediately after.
More details on Kara Welsh boyfriend/suspect pic.twitter.com/r7Bz8mW5FS
— Buddy (@scdlcaramia) September 3, 2024
Likewise, another social media user stated that he was cut from the wrestling team, though he was a sophomore wrestler with a notable 17-9 record during the 2021-22 season.
The Whitewater police arrested Chad T. Richards on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety while armed, and disorderly conduct while armed, as per NBC news.
Besides, police have not revealed much information about the case due to the ongoing investigation.
Additional Information
- Kara Welsh was born in 2002 to her parents, Nancy Welsh and Tom Welsh, and grew up in Plainfield, Illinois, with her sister, Kaeli Welsh.
- She was in her senior year as a gymnast at UW-Whitewater and was a member of the Warhawk gymnastics team with a national title in her belt.
- In addition, Welsh was a student majoring in management in the College of Business and Economics.
