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Two students dead in suspected murder-suicide at University of Wisconsin-Platteville

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Two students dead in suspected murder-suicide at University of Wisconsin-Platteville


This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Two female students have died in a suspected murder-suicide at a residence hall at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

A spokesperson with the university confirmed with Fox News Digital that Kelsie Martin and Hallie Helms, both 22, were found with gunshot wounds at Wilgus Hall, a student residence hall, in what authorities believe to be a murder-suicide at approximately 4 p.m. local time on Monday, May 19.

Helms, an elementary education major, was pronounced dead at the scene. Martin, a psychology major and assistant resident director, was transported to Southwest Health, and then flown to UW Hospital, where she later died.

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A preliminary autopsy found that Martin was determined to have died by gunshot wound, and Helms died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the school said, noting that “all indications at this time from the preliminary autopsy suggest a murder-suicide.”

IVY LEAGUE SUICIDES, PRINCETON’S 8TH STUDENT DEATH IN 4 YEARS EXPOSE CRISIS AT ELITE SCHOOLS

Students leave with their belongings from Wilgus Hall after a shooting at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Mark Hoffman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

The university’s police arrived at the scene following a call for a “disturbance.” Photos following the incident captured college students being escorted out of the residence halls as police investigated the incident.

The school said that “no other subjects are suspected to have been involved in the incident.”

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The university canceled final exams for the remainder of the week. Counseling is being offered to the campus community, and a toll-free emotional support line is available at (844)602-6680 or (720)272-0004.

Personnel from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab are shown at Wilgus Hall after a shooting at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Mark Hoffman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Helms graduated magna cum laude with a degree in elementary education, and Martin graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology on Saturday, May 17, according to the university’s graduation program.

Helms was from Baraboo, Wisconsin, and transferred to UW-Plateville in the spring of 2023 after attending UW-Baraboo.

Martin was from Beloit, Wisconsin, and had served as an assistant resident director on campus for the past three years, according to a “Student Staff Spotlight” posted by the university residence life office on Facebook.

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WISCONSIN SCHOOL SHOOTING BY FIRST-SEMESTER STUDENT LASTED 8 MINUTES: OFFICIAL

Students wait to be escorted to their dorms to gather their belongings from Wilgus Hall following an emergency incident at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on May 19, 2025. (Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

The university said in a Facebook message on Tuesday, “Thank you to all who have reached out to us through messages and offered to support in so many meaningful ways. We are overwhelmed by your kindness.” 

“We are a close community, and this outpouring of care is a powerful reminder of who we are. We do not take it for granted. #PioneerStrong,” they added.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

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Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wrote on Facebook, “I’ve been briefed on the situation at UW-Platteville, and we will continue to remain in close contact with university officials. As we await more information, please keep UW-Platteville students, faculty, staff, and the greater Platteville community in your thoughts.”

The UW-Platteville Police Department declined to comment on the incident, referring Fox News Digital to the university’s statement.



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Wisconsin loses starting offensive lineman to the transfer portal

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Wisconsin loses starting offensive lineman to the transfer portal


In a bit of a surprise, Wisconsin Badgers starting center Jake Renfro is using a medical hardship year and entering the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility.

Renfro, a sixth-year senior in 2024, battled numerous injuries this season, limiting him to only four games after having season-ending surgery. He was a full-time starter for Wisconsin in 2024 after missing the entire 2023 season except for the team’s bowl game due to injury.

Prior to his time at Wisconsin, Renfro had played for head coach Luke Fickell at Cincinnati for three seasons. He played in seven games as a freshman in 2020, making six starts at center. He then was the full-time starter as a sophomore in 2021, earning All-AAC honors before missing the entire 2022 season due to injury.

Now, he’s set to come back to college football for a seventh year, rather than turn pro, and will look to do so at another school.

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“I want to thank Coach Fickell, the entire coaching and training staff, my teammates, and the University of Wisconsin for everything over the past three seasons,” Renfro wrote. “I am grateful for the support, development, friendships, and memories I have made during my time in Madison. After much prayer and consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal and use a medical hardship year to continue my college football journey. I will always appreciate my time as a Badger.”

Renfro was one of the biggest supporters of Fickell publicly, being a vocal leader on the team as the starting center.

With his departure, Wisconsin could need a new starting left tackle, left guard, and center next season, depending on whether Joe Brunner heads to the NFL or returns for another season.



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Wisconsin’s match vs Stanford puts Alicia Andrew across net from sister

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Wisconsin’s match vs Stanford puts Alicia Andrew across net from sister


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  • Sisters Alicia and Lizzy Andrew will face each other in the NCAA volleyball tournament regional semifinals.
  • Alicia is a redshirt senior middle blocker for Wisconsin, while Lizzy is a sophomore middle blocker for Stanford.
  • Alicia and Lizzy Andrew have similarities on and off the court as they each contribute to college volleyball powerhouses.

MADISON — It did not take long for Alicia Andrew to text her younger sister after watching the NCAA volleyball selection show with her Wisconsin teammates in a lounge area in the south end zone of Camp Randall Stadium.

“I was like, ‘Girl!’” Andrew said. “She’s like, ‘I know! I’ll see you in Texas! And I was like, ‘I’m so excited!’”

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Andrew will not see her younger sister in the Gregory Gym stands like any other family members, but rather on the court as an opposing player in the Badgers’ NCAA tournament regional semifinal match against Stanford.

Alicia Andrew is a 6-foot-3 redshirt senior middle blocker for Wisconsin. Lizzy Andrew is a 6-foot-5 sophomore middle blocker for Stanford. The sisters will play against each other for the first time with a spot in the NCAA regional finals on the line.

“Certainly when you’re having two high-level Division I starters on teams that are top five, top 10 in the country playing the same position, that’s pretty unique,” Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield said. “They’re both talented and competitive. But I also know that the players aren’t going to make it about themselves or the person that’s on the other side of the net. They’re parts of teams that are trying to move on and move forward and play great volley.”

Alicia has naturally fielded questions about the sibling rivalry, but she is “not reading too much into rivalry stuff and just playing this sport.”

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“It’s another game,” she said after a recent UW practice. “Yes, it’s her across the net. But it’s a business. We both want to move on to the next round.”

Both players have played key parts in their respective teams’ path to this stage.

Alicia, after transferring from Baylor, is the only UW player to appear in all 98 sets this season and one of five to appear in all 30 matches. She is second on the team with 111 blocks, barely trailing fellow middle blocker Carter Booth’s 119.

“Really wants to be good for the people around her,” Sheffield said of Alicia. “Wants to do her job. Takes pride in her job. There’s a maturity, but yet there’s a playfulness that is a really good balance for her. Love coaching her. She’s wired the right way. She really is.”

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Lizzy, meanwhile, ranks seventh in the country with a .441 hitting percentage in 2025 after earning a spot on the all-ACC freshman team in 2024. She also has experience playing with the U.S. U21 national team.

“I’m so proud of how hard she worked and her journey to Stanford,” Alicia said. “She puts in so much work, and she just loves the sport of volleyball. And I have loved watching her grow. It’s been fun to see her get better and better every year. And this past season, she’s been playing lights out.”

That pride has turned Alicia into a frequent viewer of ACC volleyball, of course whenever it has not conflicted with the Badgers’ own matches.

“We try to watch as many of each other’s games as we can, and I always just love watching her play,” she said. “I’m so proud of her. She’s just worked her tail off at Stanford, so to see her excel has been so fun.”

The Andrew sisters — Alicia, Lizzy and Natalie, who is on the rowing team at the U.S. Naval Academy — competed together in high school. (They also have a younger brother, William.) Competing against each other is a new concept for them, though.

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“We’re not huge trash talkers, neither one of us,” Alicia said. “So I think that she’s going to play her game. I’m going to play my game. We’re going to have our heads down. There might be some looking across and smiling because we make the exact same expressions and quirky faces and reactions.”

The sisters don’t look the same – Lizzy has blonde hair and Alicia has brown hair. But Alicia quickly sees the resemblance with those on-court mannerisms.

“If there’s a silly play or if there is like a really unexpected dump or something, she’ll turn around and make the exact same face that I will,” Alicia said. “And it’s funny watching her on TV because I’m like, ‘Wow, that looks scary familiar.’”

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They have some similarities off the court, too.

“We’re just goobers,” Alicia said. “We just like to have a good time together. Obviously she’s my little sister, but we have always been a close family — like all the siblings — so I feel like we’ve done all the things together growing up in all the sports.”

The Andrew parents are perhaps the biggest winners of the NCAA tournament bracket.

“My parents were super excited,” Alicia said. “They don’t have to split the travel plan, so they can save some frequent flyer miles there and both be in Texas. … They’re always trying to coordinate all the schedules.”

The Andrew family made T-shirts for the unique sisterly matchup. (Alicia thinks she is getting one considering they asked her and Lizzy for their shirt sizes in the family group chat.) The shirts are black, too, so there is no favoritism between Wisconsin and Stanford’s variations of cardinal red.

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“They have a Stanford ‘S’ and a tree on it and then a Wisconsin ‘W’ and a little Badger on it, too,” Andrew said. “They’re really excited about these shirts. They’re being non-biased; they’re repping both daughters.”



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8-year-old dies in hospital after icy Wisconsin crash

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8-year-old dies in hospital after icy Wisconsin crash


A crash in western Wisconsin killed an 8-year-old boy and seriously injured a 27-year-old Wednesday morning. 

Fatal crash in Richmond Township, Wisconsin

What we know:

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According to St. Croix County, just before 10 a.m., deputies responded to a crash on the 1500 block of County Road A. 

Authorities say that a 27-year-old woman was driving a van southbound, and lost control on an icy curve and collided with another vehicle. 

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The woman suffered serious injuries from the crash and was taken to the hospital to be treated, law enforcement said. The boy was critically injured, and was also taken to the hospital, where he later died. 

Both were wearing seat belts during the crash. 

The driver of the other vehicle was treated for minor injuries at the scene and was released. 

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This is the 10th traffic fatality in St. Croix County. 

What we don’t know:

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The current condition of the woman is unknown. 

The Source: A press release from St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office.

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