Paralympic and Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius of South Africa. AFP
PRETORIA, South Africa — Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been arrested after a 30-year-old woman was shot dead at his home in South Africa.
Police say Pistorius was taken into custody after the shooting early Thursday morning at his home in a gated complex in the country’s capital, Pretoria.
Lt. Col. Katlego Mogale told The Associated Press that police received a call in the early hours of the morning that there had been a shooting at the double-amputee runner’s home.
Mogale said when police arrived they found paramedics trying to revive the woman, who had been shot an unspecified number of times. Mogale said the woman died at the house.
Officers found a 9-mm pistol at the scene and took the 26-year-old Pistorius into custody. Mogale said Pistorius was expected to appear in court later on Thursday.
Many South African media outlets reported that the woman was Pistorius’ girlfriend and that he may have mistaken her for a burglar and shot her, but police did not clarify the woman’s relationship to Pistorius.
Pistorius made history at the London Olympics last year when he became the first double-amputee runner to compete on the track at the Games and is one of South Africa’s most famous sportsman.
Having had both his legs amputated below the knee when he was less than a year old, he campaigned for years to be allowed to compete against able-bodied athletes and finally was cleared by sport’s highest court to be able to run at the top events.
He competed in the 400 meters and on South Africa’s 4×400 relay team at the London Games and also retained his Paralympic title in the 400 meters in London.