The University of Wisconsin-Platteville community is reeling from a tragic shooting incident that occurred at one of its residence halls earlier this week. On Monday afternoon, gunfire at Wilgus Hall resulted in the death of two students – one from a self-inflicted wound and another from injuries sustained during the shooting, according to university officials and police reports.
As reported by WISN, the two victims were identified as 22-year-old Kelsie Martin, an assistant resident director and recent psychology graduate from Beloit, and Hallie Helms, also 22, a Baraboo native who had just completed her degree in elementary education; Martin succumbed to her wounds after being rushed to the hospital and Helms's autopsy indicated a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The UW-Platteville Police Department characterized the situation as "targeted and isolated," and they found both students suffering from gunshot wounds when they responded to the scene at approximately 4 p.m, this information shared by ABC News.
Following the shooting, which resulted in a shelter-in-place warning and a temporary lockdown of the campus, the university canceled all final exams and assessments for the remaining week to offer students time to process the event and seek counseling. The services are available through Mantra's Care Hub, as indicated in the university's response to support the student body during this difficult time.
The school has confirmed that no other individuals are suspected to have been involved, according to a statement from the university shared by JSOnline; meanwhile, the investigation into the motive and circumstances surrounding this devastating event continues as the UW-Platteville community grieves the untimely loss of two of its students.
