Kara Welsh, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student and champion gymnast, was on the floor in the fetal position when she sustained some of the eight gunshot wounds that killed her on Aug. 30, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

Authorities said they found the 21-year-old in a pool of blood inside the apartment of her boyfriend, 23-year-old Chad Richards, just before midnight.

She sustained eight gunshot wounds to the neck, torso and other areas, a medical examiner determined. 

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Kara Welsh, who was killed Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in an apartment near campus. (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater via AP)

Richards, a former UW-Whitewater wrestler, was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in Welsh's killing.

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He told investigators he was acting in self-defense, after he and Welsh argued and struggled over his gun that Welsh grabbed from a nightstand, Fox News Digital reported. Richards said he wrestled the gun away and shot Welsh because he "feared for his life," and he placed the 911 call. 

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Whitewater Police Department identified the suspect who killed Kara Welsh as Chad T. Richards, 23, of Loves Park, Illinois. (Whitewater Police Department)

Welsh attended UW-Whitewater, where she was a member of the gymnastics team and was majoring in management in the school’s College of Business and Economics.

She was preparing to enter her senior year at the university. In 2023, she won an individual vault national title at the NCAA Division III championships. 

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"Kara was a daughter, sister, dear friend and teammate," her family wrote in a fundraising page, adding, "Kara had a unique ability to bring joy to any person she crossed paths with, always putting a smile on people's faces with her sense of humor, unwavering support and sweet disposition."

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A memorial for Kara Welsh is seen in her hometown of Plainfield, Illinois. (WFLD)

Richards was on the UW-Whitewater wrestling team for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, during his freshman and sophomore years, according to the school's athletics site. 

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He is facing additional charges of endangering safety by use of a dangerous weapon and disorderly conduct and is being held at the Walworth County Jail on $1 million bond.