Kelsie Martin, a 22-year-old White/Caucasian woman from Beloit, Wisconsin, was fatally shot on May 19, 2025, inside Wilgus Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Martin had only recently completed her studies, graduating summa cum laude with a psychology degree just two days before her death. She served as the assistant resident director of Wilgus Hall, a leadership position in which she helped supervise resident assistants and responded to problems and emergencies involving students
living in the residence hall. She planned to continue her education by pursuing a master’s degree in social work at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The events that led to Martin’s death began during the afternoon in Wilgus Hall. According to information later contained in a lengthy University of Wisconsin-Platteville Police Department investigation, witnesses reported hearing another resident, Hallie Helms, screaming, running through the hallway and slamming doors. One witness recalled hearing threats about killing someone. The disturbance reportedly continued for an extended period before authorities were contacted. At approximately 3:43 p.m., Martin received a message alerting her that someone was screaming on the first floor of the building. About a minute later, Martin responded that she would go check on the situation.
Martin approached Helms’ room as part of that response. A nearby witness told investigators that Martin knocked on the door and that, after looking into the hallway, the witness saw Helms raise a firearm toward Martin. The witness retreated into a room, locked the door and called 911. Gunshots were subsequently heard by multiple people in the residence hall and by a police officer who was responding to the disturbance. When officers reached the scene, they found Martin and Helms on the floor suffering from gunshot wounds.
Martin was still alive when emergency personnel reached her. She was transported first to Southwest Health and then flown by medical helicopter to UW Hospital in Madison. Despite efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead from the gunshot wound. Helms was pronounced dead at the residence hall. Preliminary autopsy findings determined that Helms’ fatal wound was self-inflicted, and investigators ultimately classified the deaths as a murder-suicide, concluding that Helms shot Martin and then killed herself. Authorities said no other person was believed to have been involved.
The later police investigation revealed evidence suggesting that Helms had been experiencing serious difficulties before the shooting. Investigators found that she had missed approximately two weeks of classes toward the end of the semester, and residence-life personnel, including Martin, had previously requested that someone conduct a general welfare check on her. Police also recovered a notebook containing writings involving obtaining a firearm, suicide and the possibility of killing other people. Examination of Helms’ internet activity reportedly uncovered searches relating to firearms, concealed-carry training, obtaining a concealed-weapons permit and information concerning suicide notes. Investigators determined that she had taken a firearms-safety course shortly before the shooting and had obtained a concealed-weapons permit.
Helms had also just completed her studies at UW-Platteville, where she majored in elementary education. Records reviewed during the investigation indicated that she had experienced problems near the end of her student-teaching program and was not expected to receive a recommendation for a teaching license. However, investigators did not establish that this issue caused the shooting, and authorities did not publicly identify a definitive motive for why Martin specifically was killed. A search-warrant affidavit described the relationship between the two as essentially unknown beyond the fact that Martin held a residence-life supervisory position in Wilgus Hall, where Helms lived.
Because Helms died at the scene from the self-inflicted gunshot wound, there was no arrest, criminal prosecution, trial or conviction in Martin’s killing. The investigation instead focused on reconstructing Helms’ actions, her behavior before the shooting and whether anyone else had been involved. Police ultimately found no evidence of another offender. Martin’s death was therefore treated as the homicide portion of the murder-suicide, with Helms identified by the investigation as the person who shot and killed her.
