Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius has reportedly shot dead his girlfriend

South African Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius has reportedly shot dead his girlfriend after mistaking her for an intruder. According to reports Pistorius is being questioned by police after his girlfriend was shot dead at his home in South Africa.

Oscar Pistorius arrested after girlfriend ‘shot dead’ at his home

Reports claim Pistorius accidentally mistook her for a burglar, shooting her four times in the head and arm. He has now been taken into custody. Police spokesman Katlego Mogale said: “A 26-year-old man had been taken into custody for shooting a 30-year-old woman.

“The deceased was shot four times and died on the scene. It is believed that she was the girlfriend of the accused.”

Mogale did not name Pistorius. The accused is expected to appear at Pretoria Magistrates Court on Thursday. South African journalist Kalay Maistry told Sky News she believed his 30-year-old girlfriend had come into the house to surprise him for Valentine’s Day.

Oscar Pistorius and girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

Paramedics were called to Pistorius’s home between 4am and 5am local time, with police arriving shortly afterwards to recover a 9mm pistol from the scene. Pistorius, known as the ‘Blade Runner’, is the most famous Paralympic athlete in the world.

The 26-year-old Pistorius is a six-times Paralympic gold medallist and became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics at 2012, where he took part in the 400m. Pistorius dominated at successive Paralympic Games after winning medals at the 2004 Athens Games.

Hooded top: Pistorius left the station with his hood up

Last year, Time Magazine named him as one of the world’s 100 most influential people. The athlete’s home is in the Silverwoods estate in eastern Pretoria, and is a high security compound with electrified walls, a guarded entrance and regular patrols.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of violent crime, and many homeowners possess weapons to defend themselves against intruders.

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