Oscar Pistorius, South Africa’s ‘Blade Runner,’ charged with murder of model girlfriend
South Africa’s Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius leaves the Boshkop police station on February 14, 2013 in Pretoria East, to be taken into police custody after allegedly shooting dead his model girlfriend.
PRETORIA, South Africa — Oscar Pistorius, the South African Paralympic gold medalist known as the "Blade Runner," has allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend, possibly mistaking her for an intruder at his home early on Valentine's Day.
Pistorius, 26, has reportedly been charged with murder, APNZ reported. Police later confirmed to GlobalPost that Pistorius, a double amputee, had been taken to Mamelodi Hospital for blood tests.
Steenkamp and Pistorius had been dating for a few months, her agent told GlobalPost.
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Afrikaans language newspaper Die Beeld was the first to report the story, on its website.
The Die Beeld report said that the shooting happened around 4 a.m., and cited a police spokeswoman, Captain Sarah Mcira, as saying that Steenkamp was shot in the head and arm.
Several reports suggested that the shooting was a Valentine's Day surprise planned by Steenkamp gone horribly wrong.
Steenkamp had posted a tweet on Feb. 13 that read:
"What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow?… Get excited."
According to the local Mail & Guardian, Steenkamp, 29, died at the scene: Pistorius' house in Pretoria.
South Africa has some of the world's highest numbers of violent crime, and many homeowners possess weapons to defend themselves against intruders.
In a 2012 New York Times article, Pistorius discussed owning a 9-millimeter handgun, which he kept in his home.
Pistorius was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics, in London 2012, where he reached the 400-meter semifinals.
He was born without fibulas in his legs and races wearing carbon-fiber prosthetic blades, which has earned him the nickname "Blade Runner."
More from GlobalPost: Were there hints of domestic problems in Oscar Pistorius' past?
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