"Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius shoots his girlfriend

[DQuaN]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21455453

So it seems he thought she was an intruder.

Some places in South Africa are just so dangerous. My colleague was telling me that the houses in Jo'burg are like fortresses. Everyone seems to live in fear. They are surrounded by huge fences and have iron doors to the bedrooms. His mother-in-law was still murdered last year despite all the security.

He also said it's not uncommon there for people to shoot family members believing them to be intruders!

 

[Mike Rotch]

He also said it's not uncommon there for people to shoot family members believing them to be intruders!

Sadly so. A few years ago an ex-Springbok rugby captain mistook his daughter for an intruder and shot her dead too.

Such a terrible story and such terrible circumstances

 

[Touring Mars]

If it was an accident, or a 'Valentine's Day' surprise gone horribly wrong, that would be truly awful... although apparently the police have said that there had been 'previous incidents at the address' and described them as "allegations of a domestic nature"...

 

[Brend]

Yup, looks like the Police don't buy it was an 'accident'

 

[Liquid]

Looks like he hasn't got a leg to stand on.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

The suspect has been charged with murder:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-14/pistorius-allegedly-shoots2c-kills-girlfriend-report/4519608

Police are not saying if it is Pistorius or not - only that the suspect is a "twenty-six year-old male" - though according to the report, this is standard under South African law.

 

[Tesla]

Johannesburg's Talk Radio 702 said Pistorius was understood to have shot his girlfriend in the head and arm, although the circumstances surrounding the incident were unclear.

I don't know. If you were really pissed off enough at someone to kill them, why would you shoot their arm too when there'd be so many other opportunities to take them out in one shot? Sounds to me like he's either untrained with a firearm or he was under a lot of pressure - which would seem to me like it was a case of him thinking there really was an intruder and acted as quickly as possible.

 

[Crispy]

Can't people just break up anymore?

 

[Touring Mars]

Maybe she was a replicant?

 

[daan]

Instead of shooting, he should just Decker...

 

[dhandeh]

I wonder, who shot first? Also, I bet the Millennium Falcon is probably hidden in his house somewhere as well.

 

[Pupik]

Oooo....too soon guys. Too soon.

 

[Johnnypenso]

Looks like he hasn't got a leg to stand on.

LOL..what took you so long...lol..hilarious...

 

[Famine]

A Valentine poem...

Roses are wonderful,
Violets are glorious,
But try not to surprise,
Oscar Pistorius.

 

[Brend]

Looks to me like he shot the gun on this one.

 

[Famine]

Oh my word.

I've checked into this and it appears to predate the incident by over 12 months. So this appears to be a real Nike ad campaign featuring Pistorius...

I... I... I... I...

 

[photonrider]

If his story is true, then this is a tragedy.

 

[mattythedog]

Considering this:

They found paramedics treating a 29-year-old woman with four gunshot wounds to the head and upper body

I'm struggling to believe it was an accident. Why would you shoot an intruder 4 times? It jsut doesn't seem right.

 

[Zenith]

Considering this: I'm struggling to believe it was an accident. Why would you shoot an intruder 4 times? It jsut doesn't seem right.

Not really. You identify the intruder then shoot until the threat you perceive is no longer able to harm you. Most people would and should use multiple rounds

If it was one round to the head I would be suspicious.

 

[daan]

But if he thought he was shooting an intruder, why has he been charged with murder? Shooting an intruder is either an unlawful killing or manslaughter, not murder.

 

[Danoff]

But if he thought he was shooting an intruder, why has he been charged with murder? Shooting an intruder is either an unlawful killing or manslaughter, not murder.

...or self defense and not a crime.

 

[daan]

...or self defense and not a crime.

I think that depends on which country you're in. Folk in the UK have been jailed for shooting intruders, (although the one I'm thinking of shot the bloke in the back, while he was running away, which is probably a bad move in any country...)

My main point is it's not murder which has to be planned and be pre-meditated.

 

[Johnnypenso]

But if he thought he was shooting an intruder, why has he been charged with murder? Shooting an intruder is either an unlawful killing or manslaughter, not murder.

Could either be standard procedure there and he has to prove in court he believe it was an intruder...or there is evidence not yet made public that gave them cause to charge him...

 

[DQuaN]

Well it seems the police are quite skeptical of his intruder claim and apparently have been called to the premises multiple times before for 'domestic disturbances'. It's starting to look like he actually did it on purpose. The police must be pretty sure to charge him with murder.

 

[Zenith]

I'd hope that they need more evidence than that. Unfortunately he's the only witness.

 

[sumbrownkid]

Is South Africa really that dangerous? Because it's not the first time I heard of the "dangerous" thing when it comes to that country. I mean I'd rather be in South Africa than in Congo.

 

[DQuaN]

It is very dangerous. I can't believe some of the stuff my colleague tells me!

 

[MarinaDiamandis]

Is South Africa really that dangerous? Because it's not the first time I heard of the "dangerous" thing when it comes to that country. I mean I'd rather be in South Africa than in Congo.

Certain areas are very dangerous.

 

[DQuaN]

I suppose I should have clarified a little. It's not all dangerous. There are some really nice areas.

The bad areas though are REALLY bad. In the suburbs of Joberg, the security people put on their homes is just unbelievable. I don't know why people would accept those kind of living conditions. I've had many a talk about it with my colleague and it baffles me that this kind of thing goes on in a developed country.

 

[Omnis]

A Valentine poem...

Roses are wonderful,
Violets are glorious,
But try not to surprise,
Oscar Pistorius.

Can you imagine the 911 call?
"Ma'am, is the suspect still armed?"
"Yes, but he's not legged."

It is very dangerous. I can't believe some of the stuff my colleague tells me!

It's extremely dangerous in the bad parts, and used to be worse all over. My grandpa has friends from there. They were there during apartheid too. The wife's parents were murdered in front of her in their driveway by a couple of blacks. Her son went on to become an arms dealer all over Africa. :/