EMERGING FACTS OF THE MATTER : Olympian Oscar Pistorius Held After Deadly Shooting

South African police have detained double-amputee Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius after his girlfriend was found shot dead.
South African Police arrived at a Pretoria home early Thursday to find a 30-year-old woman fatally shot. Police said they found a 9mm pistol at the scene and are carrying out ballistic tests on the weapon.
Police said they laid a charge of murder against a 26-year-old male Thursday, but declined to identify the man. Police spokeswoman Lt. Col. Katlego Mogale said police responded to an emergency call from a neighbor who heard shouting at the home.
Local media camped outside the home of Mr. Pistorius said police had been at the site and left with someone under arrest. Police said under South African law they couldn't release the names of the victim or anyone charged until a court appearance.
Speaking to reporters, another police spokeswoman, Denise Beukes, said there had been previous incidents of a "domestic nature" at the home of Mr. Pistorius.
A spokeswoman for model Reeva Steenkamp said Ms. Steenkamp died early Thursday.
"We are in communication with people on the scene…there is too much speculation at this moment in time," said Robyn David, of Capacity Relations, on behalf of Ms. Steenkamp's family. Ms. Steenkamp was voted into FHM's 100 sexiest women in the world for the past two years.
"She was the kindest, sweetest human being; an angel on earth who will be sorely missed," said Ms. David.
A spokesman for Mr. Pistorius, Peet van Zyl, said he was on his way to Pretoria to speak with the athlete and would make a comment later in the day.
Mr. Pistorius, nicknamed the Blade Runner for the L-shaped carbon blades he runs on, made history in the London Olympics last year as the first double-amputee to compete on the track at the Olympic Games.
Mr. Pistorius was already a star from his exploits in previous Paralympics events. His high-tech blades and drive to compete against able-bodied athletes had for years brought him fame, glory and controversy.
In 2008, he had been banned from able-bodied competition by the International Association of Athletics Federation, but hired lawyers and waged a legal battle that got the ban overturned. He didn't qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, however.
His participation in able-bodied events put him at the center of a protracted debate over whether his high-tech blades provided some sort of advantage over able-bodied athletes. Some scientists weighed in, arguing that his artificial limbs acted like springs that propelled him in races.
The attention brought widening fame. The spotlight that came with his high-tech running blades and high level of achievement won him endorsements from Nike Inc., NKE -0.97% Oakley sunglasses and Thierry Mugler fragrances. Nike featured him in TV ads.
The stage was set for him to vault to even bigger stardom at the 2012 London Olympics when he was named to the South African Olympic team at the last minute. He was selected to compete on the country's four-by-400-meter relay team despite not having met qualifying standards; that also made him eligible to compete in the individual 400-meter competition.
In London, the past controversies seemed to fade into the background when he became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics. In his first event, a men's 400-meter heat, he advanced to the semifinal round; he later failed to reach the finals. He did reach an Olympic final, however, as a member of South Africa's relay team.
Mr. Pistorius was a fan favorite in London, generating excitement in the Olympic Stadium each time he stepped on the track. When he appeared for his first race in London, he heard someone shout from the stands "You sexy baby!" His 89-year-old grandmother watched from the stands. After each of his competitions, he was in high demand from reporters around the world, overshadowing athletes he had been bested by in competition.
A few weeks after the London Olympics, he competed in the Paralympics, where he again met controversy when he was beaten in the T44 200-meter finals by another double-amputee, Brazil's Alan Oliveira, who caught Mr. Pistorius from behind in the home stretch. Immediately after the race, Mr. Pistorius complained bitterly that his rival's blades were too long, giving him an unfair advantage. He later apologized for the timing of the outburst, but didn't back away from his contention that he was at a technical disadvantage.
After London, Mr. Pistorius clearly had his eyes on seeking Olympic glory in 2016.
"The goal is Rio," site of the 2016 Olympics, he said after his final event at the London Olympics. "I'm super excited for that. I should be at my peak then."
Some Paralympic athletes quickly expressed shock at the news, and described Mr. Pistorius as a standard-bearer for disabled sport.
"I don't know what happened there but I'm shocked, I'm really shocked, because somehow he really carries the flag of the Paralympic Games and Paralympians," Eduard Novak, a Romanian para-cyclist who won a gold medal in the London games, said in a phone interview Thursday.
Mr. Novak, who has competed in three Paralympics, said Mr. Pistorius generated so much publicity and attention that, for the first time in London last year, "the Paralympic Games are the same" as the Olympic Games.
In a statement, the International Paralympic Committee said it couldn't comment while the police investigation is under way. "The IPC would like to offer its deepest sympathy and condolences to all families involved in this case," the statement said.
A spokesman for British Telecom in London said Mr. Pistorius is currently an "ambassador" for the brand, and has appeared in BT ads in the past. He declined to disclose financial details of the endorsement deal. "We are shocked by this terrible, tragic news. We await the outcome of the South African police investigation," the spokesman said.
A spokeswoman for Thierry Mugler in London said Mr. Pistorius currently appears in advertising for the brand's Amen fragrance. She declined to comment further. Oakley, based in Foothill Ranch, Calif., couldn't be reached for comment early Thursday. Nike also didn't immediately return a call seeking comment about its relationship with Mr. Pistorius.

 
South African Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp, believed to be his girlfriend, attending an awards ceremony in Johannesburg in 2012.