Two UW–Platteville Students Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide Days After Graduation

Authorities in Wisconsin are investigating a tragic incident involving two University of Wisconsin–Platteville students who died in what officials are calling a murder-suicide.

On the afternoon of Monday, May 19, campus police responded to a distress call at Wilgus Hall, a university dormitory, where they discovered 22-year-old Hallie Helms and 22-year-old Kelsie Martin with gunshot wounds. Helms, an elementary education major, was pronounced dead at the scene. Martin, who studied psychology and served as an assistant resident director, was taken to Southwest Health and later flown to UW Hospital in Madison, where she later died.

Autopsy results confirmed the grim findings: Martin died from a gunshot wound, while Helms’ injury was self-inflicted. Investigators believe the shooting happened around 4 p.m. Authorities are treating the case as a murder-suicide and say no one else is suspected of involvement.

Just two days before the incident, both Helms and Martin were listed in the university’s spring commencement program, celebrating what should have been the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Instead, their deaths have sent shockwaves through the campus and local community.

In response to the tragedy, UW–Platteville canceled final exams for the rest of the week and mobilized resources to support grieving students and staff. The university offered counseling and mental health services, acknowledging the emotional toll of the event.

“We are overwhelmed by your kindness,” the university shared on social media. “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.”

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers also addressed the tragedy, saying, “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.”

Investigators are continuing to piece together the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the nature of the relationship between the two women and any warning signs that may have preceded the shooting.

As the community mourns, the loss of Hallie Helms and Kelsie Martin has sparked conversations around mental health, campus safety, and the importance of supporting one another through times of crisis.