- Thread starter
- #1
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2007
- Messages
- 34,763
- Reaction score
- 561
Oscar Pistorius Shoots Model Girlfriend; Claims It Was an Accident
JOHANNESBURG — The Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, who made sporting history by becoming the first double amputee sprinter to compete in the Olympics, was charged with murder on Thursday after a woman was fatally shot in his home in Pretoria, according to South African police officials.
Confirming the charges, police officials said they planned to oppose Mr. Pistorius’s expected application for bail at a court hearing scheduled for Friday. The police had initially said he would appear in court later on Thursday.
South African and other media quoted associates of the victim as identifying her as Reeva Steenkamp, a model whose Twitter page described her as a “cover girl” and a law school graduate. Ms. Steenkamp and Mr. Pistorius had frequently been seen together at society events and South African media identified her as his girlfriend, giving them the aura of a golden couple beloved by the society pages and photographers.
“A case of murder has been opened,” she said before the police said they had formally charged Mr. Pistorius.
Reports from local media said that Mr. Pistorius told the police that the shooting was an accident and that he had mistaken the victim for an intruder.