Oscar Pistorius Gives His Account of Fatal Shooting: 'I Tried to Help Her'
Oscar Pistorius has finally offered his account of what happened on Feb. 14 that led to the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. He said he never had any "intention to kill my girlfriend."
"I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder," Pistorius' lawyer said as the track star stood before a judge in Pretoria. Pistorius could not speak and was so overcome with emotion that the judge had to stop the hearing so Pistorius could collect himself.
"I was watching TV. My legs were off; she (Reeva) was doing yoga. At the end of the evening we got into bed. I'm acutely aware of people gaining entries to homes to commit crime; I've received death threats. I sleep with my 9mm (gun) under my bed. I woke up to close the sliding door and heard a noise in the bathroom," Pistorius' statement said, according to the Daily Mail.
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"I was scared and didn't switch on the light," it continued. "I got my gun and moved towards the bathroom. I screamed at the intruder because I did not have my legs on; I felt vulnerable. I fired shots through the bathroom door and told Reeva to call police."
Unfortunately Reeva did not respond, and Pistorius said he realized "it could be her in there. I kicked the door open, called paramedics and complex security. I tried to carry her downstairs for help. I tried to help her but she died in my arms," he concluded.
Pistorius has been charged with premeditated murder; prosecutors have said that he attached his prosthetic legs, grabbed his gun, and purposely fired through the bathroom door after an intense argument. The couple had been known to argue, and police had been called to their home several times for domestic issues, CNN reported.
Steenkamp was buried earlier today, with friends and family remembering the young woman who had a bright future ahead of her.
"There's a space missing inside all the people she knew that can't be filled again," her brother Adam told reporters.
