# Amputee Runner Oscar Pistorius Shoots Girlfriend **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 14, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265 "2013-02-14T07:36:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/1 "2013-02-14T07:36:22Z")
[He doesn’t have a leg to stand on.](http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/feb/14/oscar-pistorius-girlfriend-shot-dead) ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/2 "2013-02-14T08:01:05Z")
Po’ little Tink-Tink. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/3 "2013-02-14T08:12:47Z")
I’m amazed he hit her. I would have thought he’d miss by a foot. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/4 "2013-02-14T08:37:34Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > I’m amazed he hit her. I would have thought he’d miss by a foot. I actually heard it was two feet…but I only dipped a toe into the water here. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/5 "2013-02-14T09:58:14Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > I’m amazed he hit her. I would have thought he’d miss by a foot. Take a bow, **runner pat**. ---
**Author:** ![Shearer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@Shearer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shearer)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/6 "2013-02-14T10:17:11Z")
If only she had a gun, she would have been able to defend herself. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/7 "2013-02-14T11:24:29Z")
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/feb/14/oscar-pistorius-girlfriend-shot-dead](http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/feb/14/oscar-pistorius-girlfriend-shot-dead) God knows where this will end up - maybe even in The Pit - but I guess we can start here. Seems that Oscar Pistorius (the Blade Runner for those who can’t place the name - ran for South Africa in the Olympics in London despite having no legs) has shot and killed his girlfriend this morning. Lots of speculation going around at the moment - reports of an argument in his house earlier in the evening, the possibility of it being a Valentine’s surprise gone wrong, etc. A bunch of his peers have hit Twitter and all of them claim that he has mistakenly killed her - despite almost certainly not being present and in many cases being continents away from the incident. Perhaps a bit early for those sorts of claims - maybe we should see how the investigation unwinds. Having been to South Africa in the recent past and visited friends in communities like those Pistorius is said to live in, I can say that it seemed to me that the rate of gun ownership is very high and these communities tend to have armed guards and electric fences, etc. SA has a very high rate of violent crime, so I guess it’s no surprise that there would be a gun in the house. Not really here to debate gun ownership - there is a load of that elsewhere amongst these pages. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/8 "2013-02-14T12:24:34Z")
He thought she was a replicant. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/9 "2013-02-14T12:35:42Z")
Sounds like a nice guy made a really horrible mistake that he’ll regret the rest of his life. And 2 kids now don’t have a mother. Yeah, not finding anything even remotely funny about this. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/10 "2013-02-14T12:58:48Z")
Agree it’s not funny, but what is the basis for calling him a nice guy and assuming it was a mistake? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/11 "2013-02-14T13:09:50Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > He thought she was a replicant. So now she’s a retired model? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/12 "2013-02-14T13:14:35Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > Agree it’s not funny, but what is the basis for calling him a nice guy and assuming it was a mistake? Is there a basis for assuming he’s a bad guy and it was deliberate? We really don’t know what went on, do we? Either way, it’s sad. If it was an accident it’s tragic. Even if the guy was a dick in personality that doesn’t mean he set out to kill his girlfriend. Reports are that this was somehow connected to her wanting to surprise him for Valentine’s day and he thought she was a burglar of some sort. Tragic shooting of family member/friend mistaken for intruder, alas, is not unprecedented. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/13 "2013-02-14T13:17:30Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > Agree it’s not funny, but what is the basis for calling him a nice guy and assuming it was a mistake? From the linked article. ---
**Author:** ![piepiepie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@piepiepie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/piepiepie)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/14 "2013-02-14T13:20:46Z")
The ESPN Bottomline said there had previous domestic instances at his house. I have a feeling his burglar story may not hold up. I liked the guy and his story but I doubt this will end well for him. ---
**Author:** ![Nippless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/df788c/32.png) [@Nippless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nippless)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/15 "2013-02-14T13:23:01Z")
Bullets are certainly an interesting Valentine’s day gift. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/16 "2013-02-14T13:27:46Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Is there a basis for assuming he’s a bad guy and it was deliberate? > > We really don’t know what went on, do we? Either way, it’s sad. If it was an accident it’s tragic. Even if the guy was a dick in personality that doesn’t mean he set out to kill his girlfriend. Reports are that this was somehow connected to her wanting to surprise him for Valentine’s day and he thought she was a burglar of some sort. Tragic shooting of family member/friend mistaken for intruder, alas, is not unprecedented. Apparently police are opposing bail, he’s been charged with murder, and they’ve been called out to his residence in the past for “domestic reasons”. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/17 "2013-02-14T13:32:30Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Is there a basis for assuming he’s a bad guy and it was deliberate? Well, he _has_ been charged with murder. The police said there had been previous domestic-violence calls to the house. I thought he was a self-absorbed dick in some of the interviews before the Olympics, though of course that’s not usually an indicator for murder. [Quote=Broomstick] Reports are that this was somehow connected to her wanting to surprise him for Valentine’s day and he thought she was a burglar of some sort [/QUOTE] Media reports of unclear source, disavowed by police–who mentioned instead accounts of a screaming fight earlier in the evening. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/18 "2013-02-14T13:35:02Z")
That wasn’t a replicant he retired. ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/19 "2013-02-14T13:40:04Z")
> [@piepiepie](#): > > The ESPN Bottomline said there had previous domestic instances at his house. I have a feeling his burglar story may not hold up. I liked the guy and his story but I doubt this will end well for him. Yep, the more stuff that seems to be coming out of this once reporters have hit the ground and started asking questions of people in the community and of the police, it looks like this burglar thing could be rubbish. He comes off in interviews as being very personable - but then, so did OJ. ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265/20 "2013-02-14T13:41:23Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > That wasn’t a replicant he retired. LOL. This is better than some of the other stuff I have seen on this (e.g. unlike him, this story has legs). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amputee-runner-oscar-pistorius-shoots-girlfriend/650265.md?page=2)