'It caught us off guard': UW-Whitewater students react to gymnast's death just before start of school year

 

WHITEWATER, Wis. (CBS 58) — The Whitewater community continues to grieve, days after a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student was killed.

Twenty-one-year-old Kara Welsh was a NCAA champion gymnast at the school.

She was shot and killed at an apartment Friday night, by a 23-year-old man that police say she knew.

Flags will fly at half-staff on campus at UW-Whitewater on the first day of classes Tuesday to honor Welsh.

"I'm excited for school to start, but it's definitely kind of devastating what happened over the weekend," said Omari Rhinehart, a junior on the UWW football team. "Just losing a fellow athlete is pretty heartbreaking."

Freshmen in matching purple shirts filled UWW's streets for new-student orientation on Monday, but the feeling on campus was bittersweet.

"You can definitely tell there's a vibe change," said Luke Krajcik, a freshman. "It caught us off guard."

Welsh's story was in the back of many students' minds as they prepared for the school year.

"Just shocked, just shocked," said junior football player Jakob Simmons.

He said many student athletes knew Kara well.

"The sports teams here are pretty close, especially gymnastics, football, and all that stuff. So it's just like, we're seeing our friends, what they're going through, they really knew this girl," he said.

Simmons said athletes and coaches across all sports at UWW are grieving.

"Like, imagine one of our teammates passing away, like I just couldn't imagine that. It'd be terrible," Simmons said.

A group of new students told CBS 58 that although they didn't know Welsh personally, they want to see her memorialized.

"I really wish they would honor her in the auditorium, where all the athletes are," said Jazzlyn Sanders, a freshman. "I feel like if she made a big impact here, or even if she didn't - I feel like we need to honor her."

A GoFundMe has been created for Welsh's family in her honor.

Whitewater police said the 23-year-old suspect is in custody at Walworth County Jail.

Police have not released his name or photograph, and he has not yet been charged.