Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius was charged with murder on Thursday after a woman was shot to death in his home in Pretoria, according to the South African police.

Media from South Africa and other sources have identified the victim as Reeva Steenkamp, a model and law graduate, according to her Twitter page. Steenkamp and Pistorius had frequently been spotted together at social events and Steenkamp had been described by the South African media as Pistorius's girlfriend. 

As police confirmed the charges, they further added that they plan to reject the track star's probable application for bail at a court hearing that is scheduled for Thursday.

Check out coverage from the South African media on the murder case here:

Early on Thursday morning, the police were alerted to a report of gunshots heard in the upscale home complex where Pistorius lived, according to police spokesperson Col. Katlego Mogale. The police arrived and found paramedics treating 30-year-old Steenkamp for gunshot wounds. The woman was pronounced dead and Pistorius was taken into custody, Mogale said.

Mogale did not provide comment on the likely motive for the shooting.

"A case of murder has been opened," she said before the police announced that they had officially charged Pistorius with murder.

Pistorius, 26, made sports history when he became the first double amputee sprinter to ever compete in the Olympics. He won a silver medal and two golds during last year's Paralympic Games in London. In the 2012 Olympics, he made it to the 400-meter semifinal and then competed in the 4x400 meter relay race. He was nicknamed Blade Runner because he uses carbon fiber prosthetic blades when he runs. 

Local media reports stated that Pistorius told the police the shooting was accidental and that he had mistaken the victim for an intruder.

South Africa has one of the world's largest violent crime rates and break-ins by armed robbers are relatively common. With some restrictions, legal handgun ownership is common.

Adele Kirsten of Gun-Free SA, an anti-gun violence organization, said that whatever the motive was, the shooting was a preventable tragedy.

"The idea that you have a gun to protect your family against intruders, the data doesn't bear that out," Kirsten said. "What it tells us is that having a gun in your home puts you and your family at risk of being shot."

Sarit Tomlinson, the publicist for Steenkamp, reportedly told Sky News that the couple had a "healthy, fabulous relationship."

Steenkamp posted a message on her Twitter account on Wednesday hitting at Valentine's day on Feb. 14 as she said, "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow???"

Henke Pistorius, the athele's father, told the South African Broadcasting Corporation: "I don't know nothing. It will be extremely obnoxious and rude to speculate. I don't know the facts. If anyone makes a statement, it will be Oscar. He's sad at the moment."

Tags: Oscar Pistorius murder