When heroes turn to the enemy, fans are captivated by the details of the story. Oscar Pistorius, the Paralympics sprinter who gained the nickname of the ‘Blade Runner’ at the London Olympics last summer, has been charged with the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The shooting occurred the morning of Valentine’s Day amid Reeva’s explicit excitement through posts on her Twitter page – which has made Pistorius’ fall even more disheartening.
The shooting occurred in Pistorius’ home in Pretoria, South Africa where police discovered Reeva had been shot four times by what they later discovered to be from a 9mm pistol. Police spokesperson Denise Beukes was one of the officers who arrived at Pistorius’ home and said the Paralympics athlete was inside the home. The police spoke with neighbours about the shooting and learned that there had been several domestic disturbances between the couple over the last several months.
Pistorius became a hero to South Africa and the entire world – including the online casino and gambling industry – at the London Olympics for his performance in the individual and relay performances in the 400m sprint. Due to a condition that required the bottom half of his legs to be removed as a boy, his exalted performance touched the hearts of fans around the world.
Reeva was a self-appointed feminist and a law school graduate, who often gave speeches to women encouraging them to speak out against rape. She has also done professional modeling, and has ranked on FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women in the world for the last two years. According to her Twitter account, Reeva had been extremely excited about Valentine’s Day and encouraged her followers to do something special for their loved ones.
“What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? It should be a day of love for everyone.”
Tragically Reeva didn’t live to see her Valentine’s surprise, and Pistorius is listed as the prime suspect in her shooting. Police have taken the former hero into custody, where he will appear at a bail hearing Friday morning – police expect bail will be denied.
