Latest: Oscar Pistorius shoots/kills his girlfriend

The latest news of the shooting...

Pistorius to spend night in prison cell

Paralympian Oscar Pistorius will only appear in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Friday. "He will be kept in police custody," said National Prosecuting Authority official Medupe Simasiku.

Bail will be opposed when Pistorius appears, police spokeswoman Brigadier Denise Beukes told reporters earlier. She declined to elaborate.

High speed convoy

Pistorius was held at the Boschkop police station in the morning, then seen by a Sapa reporter at the Mamelodi Day Clinic after a high speed convoy drove him there. His sister Aimee was seen arriving with a jacket and white trousers, presumed to be for his court appearance.

His lawyer Kenny Oldwage was expected to apply for bail.

Speaking generally, and without commenting specifically on Pistorius, Beukes said it was a routine process for a suspect to be taken for a medical examination in such cases.

"The person is taken for a medical examination. It is a standard procedure," she said. "They [hospital staff] test under the nails, they look for scratches, bruises, and blood is taken for alcohol and drug screening." Pistorius was co-operating with police.

"Incidents of domestic violence at his place"

Beukes said there had been incidents of domestic violence at his place in the past. "I confirm there had been previous incidents of a domestic nature at his place but this will form part of the investigation," she said.

She said there was no sign of forced entry into Pretorius's house and reports that the woman was shot after she was mistaken for an intruder were not coming from the police. "As SA Police Services we do not have a report based on those allegations. We only heard over the radio that the woman was shot after she was mistaken for an intruder."

Beukes said forensic detectives were busy collecting evidence from the crime scene and journalists would not be allowed in until the police handed over the scene to the estate's security company.

Bail to be opposed

Bail for Paralympian Oscar Pistorius will be opposed when he appears in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court later on Thursday. "He will appear in court at 14h00 and bail will be opposed," said Brigadier Denise Beukes. "We are at this stage as the SA Police Services not able to disclose why are we opposing the bail," said Beukes.

Pistorius was co-operating with police, she said.

Mnet pulls advert

Pistorius’s adverts with private broadcaster M-Net have been pulled off air with immediate effect.

The campaign, which has the 26-year-old Olympian alongside two local comedians first aired on January 20, where the three are promoting the Academy Awards campaign being run by the channel. M-Net spokesman Lani Lombard confirmed that their Oscar campaign would be pulled off air on Thursday morning.

“Out of respect and sympathy to the bereaved, M-Net will be pulling its entire Oscar campaign featuring Oscar Pistorius with immediate effect,” said Lombard in a short e-mail.

Pistorius taken to day clinic

Oscar Pistorius arrived in a police convoy at the Mamelodi Day Hospital on Thursday following the Valentine's Day shooting of model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp at his home.

It was not immediately clear why he was there. He was taken to the clinic at high speed following a period at the Boschkop police station in the morning.

Valentine's Day tweets emerge

Hours before Pistorius allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, she sent him a Valentine's Day tweet.

It read: "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow???"

Woman is identified as girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

The woman shot dead at Paralympian Oscar Pistorius's home on Thursday has been identified as model Reeva Steenkamp, 30.

Shiri Reouveni, of Steenkamp's PR agency, said they had been told it was Steenkamp who had been shot, but did not want to say more. Asked if she could confirm if it was Steenkamp who was shot, she said: "Yes".

They would issue a statement later.

A RIP Reeva Steenkamp Facebook page has since been created. 

The fan page is said to have been created this morning after Steenkamp had been identified. The page has almost 5 000 likes

Pistorius is "sad"

Pistorius's father on Thursday said his son was "sad" following the shooting which left his girlfriend dead.

"I don't know nothing. It will be extremely obnoxious and rude to speculate. I don't know the facts," Henke Pistorius told SABC radio news. If anyone makes a statement, it will have to be Oscar. He's sad at the moment."

Sascoc can't comment

The SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) could not comment on the shooting of a woman at Paralympian Oscar Pistorius's home on Thursday.

"Sascoc, like the rest of the public, knows no more than what is in the public domain, which is that there has been an alleged fatal shooting on the basis of a mistaken identity and an apparent assumption of a burglary," the Olympic body said in a statement.

"The organisation is in no position to comment on the incident other than to say our deepest sympathy and condolences have been expressed to the families of all concerned."

Pistorius to appear in court

Pistorius is expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court later today following the fatal Valentine's Day shooting.  

"I can confirm to you that a 26-year-old suspect will be appearing in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court this afternoon following a shooting at Oscar Pistorius' house," spokeswoman Lt-Col Katlego Mogale said.

Police would not confirm who the suspect was as he had not appeared in court yet. Mogale said the woman's name could only be released once her next of kin had been informed.

A "Valentine's Day surprise"

An SA journalist has told Sky News that Pistorius' girlfriend was allegedly shot as she woke him, trying to surprise him on Valentine's Day.

South African journalist Kalay Maistry told Sky News: "It is alleged that he thought his girlfriend, who’d come in to try to surprise him for Valentines Day, was an intruder. It’s alleged that he shot her at least twice in the arm and head. "I think what this actually highlights is the level of fear ordinary South Africans have.

"This is a man who has gone to bed, it’s an innocent surprise from a girlfriend … and the moment he thinks someone is trying to break in he grabs his gun. This has come as a complete surprise for a man who’s considered a national hero."

The athlete know as the "Blade Runner" made history in 2012 when he became the first amputee to compete in the Olympics.

eNCA

Police spokesperson Katlego Mogale told E News Channel Africa (eNCA) that she could not confirm the man's identity until he appears in court. She added that a 9mm pistol was recovered from the scene and a case of murder is being investigated. The woman was apparently shot four times.

Pistorious has been arrested and taken into custody

A case of murder is being investigated, police have told media

Mogale said police were called following a shooting at a townhouse complex in Silverlakes.

"When police arrived they found the paramedics attending to the woman. The paramedics declared the woman dead on the scene and police proceeded with their investigation of the scene."

Oscar Pistorius allegedly shoots and kills his girlfriend

Paralympian athlete Oscar Pistorius allegedly accidentally shot and killed his girlfriend at his house in Pretoria on Thursday morning, Beeld.com reported.

Police were reportedly called to the house and declared the woman dead. He had mistaken her for a robber, the Afrikaans daily reported on its website.

Police spokeswoman Captain Sarah Mcira confirmed that the woman was shot in the arm and head. 

More details to follow... 

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