(USA TODAY) - South African media are reporting that Paralympic gold medalist Oscar Pistorius has allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend after mistaking her for an intruder at his home early Thursday morning.
Pistorius has been arrested and is being questioned by police. He is expected to appear in court later today. The circumstances of the incident are still unclear but it is understood that a charge of murder is being investigated, the BBC reported.
Representatives for Pistorius in South Africa and the United Kingdom could not immediately be reached for comment by USA TODAY.
Multiple media outlets in the country, including the Mail & Guardian and the South African Press Agency, citing local police, said the woman, 30, died at the scene at the athlete's house in Pretoria. The original source of the report appears to be Beeld, an Afrikaans-language daily newspaper. Local radio also reported on the fatal shooting.
Britain's Sky News first named the woman as Reeva Steenkamp, a model and recent contestant on "Tropika Island of Treasure 5," a South African reality TV show. A talent agent for Steenkamp confirmed to The Associated Press that Steenkamp was the victim of the shooting by Pistorius.
Some media commentators speculated that the victim have may have been in the act of surprising Pistorius for Valentine's Day. However, police have yet to confirm the woman's relationship with the Olympic and Paralympic athlete.
Police spokesperson Captain Sarah Mcirca confirmed to South African media that a woman was shot in the arm and head. A 9mm pistol was recovered at the scene.
Pistorius, 26, made history by being the first double amputee to take part in the Olympics.
Known as the "Blade Runner" for his use of carbon fiber prosthetic blades, Pistorius won gold medals in the 4 x 100 meter relay and 400 meter individual events at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
He was born without the fibula, the long, slender bone running along the outside of the leg from below the knee joint and down to the ankle, in each of his legs, information on his website says.
Pistorius is a huge star in South Africa and is viewed as an ambassador for the nation's sporting achievements. In 2012, Time magazine named him as one of the world's 100 most influential people.
South African Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp attend an awards ceremony, in Johannesburg, South Africa last November.
(Photo: Lucky Nxumalo, AP)
He has sponsorship deals with brands including Nike, Oakley and the French fashion designer Thierry Mugler. He has appeared on the cover of numerous publications such as GQ and The New York Times Magazine.
The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee said that it was not in a position to comment on the alleged fatal shooting. "Our thoughts are with the respective families at this time," the organization said, in a statement.
Speaking to CNN's Piers Morgan late last year, Pistorius said: "I grew up in a family where disability was never an issue. We didn't really speak about my disability, not because it was a topic that was taboo... it was just never an issue. And that's the mentality that I've had."
The athlete's father, Henke Pistorius, told South Africa's SABC radio news on Thursday that he didn't know the facts. "If anyone makes a statement, it will have to be Oscar. He's sad at the moment."