Oscar Pistorius allegedly shoots girlfriend, sends Twitter into shock

Oscar Pistorious

News that renowned paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius had allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend Reva Steenkamp sent Twitter into shock this morning.

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The man known around the world as “Blade Runner” apparently mistook Steenkamp for a burglar after she entered his Pretoria home in the early hours of Thursday morning. According to Afrikaans-language newspaper Die Beeld, which broke the story, Steenkamp was shot in the arm and head.

Police have taken a 26-year-old suspect in for questioning, but could not name him until he had been formally charged.

There is speculation that Steenkamp, an FHM model and law graduate, may have been surprising Pistorius for Valentine’s Day. We must however stress that this has not been confirmed.

Update: Police have not confirmed whether or not the incident involved a case of mistaken identity, but said that investigations are ongoing. The Mail and Guardian reports that Pistorius will appear in court shortly for a bail hearing.

News of the shooting quickly spread across news channels and social media alike, with “Oscar Pistorius” trending globally on Twitter.

Most Twitter users showed outright shock when they found out about the incident:

Others used the incident to express their distaste for people being allowed to keep guns at home:

While there was a lot of sympathy for Pistorius, some Twitter users were quick to remind their followers that they shouldn’t forget how Steenkamp’s family must have been feeling in the aftermath of the shooting:

A glance Steenkamp’s Twitter timeline revealed a piece of tragic irony in the form of a tweet she sent out yesterday:

Image: Jim Thurston via Wikipedia

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