South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius was arrested Thursday after a woman was found shot to death in his home in Pretoria. Pistorius, 26, a double-amputee Olympic sprinter known as "Blade Runner," was taken into custody early Thursday after police responded to a call about a shooting at his home.

According to the the Associated Press, the woman killed was 30-year-old Reeva Steenkamp, a self-described “cover girl for FHM Models.” South African media reported that Steenkamp was Pistorius’s girlfriend and that he allegedly shot her after mistaking her for a burglar, an allegation that has not been confirmed. Officials apparently found a 9mm handgun in Pistorius’s home. He is expected to appear in court later Thursday.

The South African Paralympian -- a fan favorite -- took home two gold medals and a silver at the 2012 London Olympics.

Via:

Pistorius made history in London last year when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete in the Olympic Games. He is one of South Africa's and the world's most famous athletes.

Having had both his legs amputated below the knee before his first birthday because of a congenital condition, he campaigned for years to be allowed to compete against able-bodied athletes. Having initially been banned because of his carbon fiber blades — which critics said gave him an unfair advantage — he was cleared by sport's highest court in 2008 and allowed to run at the top events.

He competed in the 400 meters and on South Africa's 4x400 relay team at the London Games, making history after being have his selection confirmed on South Africa's team at the very last minute. He also retained his Paralympic title in the 400 meters in London.

Phillip Sailors, 69, a war veteran and a former church missionary, is being held on charges of malice murder after a shooting at his residence on Saturday.

A group of friends in Lilburn, GA said they were going to pick up a girl who lived in the area to go ice skating around 10 p.m. when their GPS system sent them to the wrong home.

“The guy came out. He went in again and he came out with a gun in his hand and he shot into the air,” 15-year-old passenger Yeson Jimenez said.

The teens say after Sailors fired that one shot into the air, the driver got scared and tried to turn around. That's when Sailors allegedly fired the second shot, killing their friend.

Police took the other three who were in the car to the police station and questioned them overnight. Authorities say they then had enough evidence to arrest Sailors and charge him with murder.

Garcia, who has only been in the country for a few months, can't understand how any of this could have happened.

"That means that you cannot come to a house and be confused about it? And somebody will come out and say, 'Hello, may I help you? What are you doing here?' And you start shooting like a maniac," Garcia said through a translator.

Rodrigo Diaz, 22, who was driving the car, was shot in the head, according to the arrest warrant.

The passengers said Sailors never asked what they were doing there.

“’Shut up.’ That’s the only thing that came out of his mouth,” passenger Gandy Cardenas said.

The friends said that Sailors held them in the car at gunpoint until local police arrived at the home. The three passengers who were in the car are all local high school students.

Sailors' attorney told WSBTV that the man believed he and his wife were being attacked.

“He is very distraught over the loss of life from the defense of his home. This incident happened late in the evening hours when he was home with his wife and he assumed it was a home invasion and he maintains his innocence,” the attorney said.

[Via, Via ]

KPTV - FOX 12

A Portland gun rights activist and a few of his friends decided to roam the streets in Portland on Wednesday in order to "educate the public" on their second amendment rights, with their AR-15s slung over their shoulders.

Via:

Medford police have received at least 67 complaints about Warren R. Drouin openly carrying a semi-auto rifle or handgun in a wide range of public settings between June 2011 and December 2012, according to agency records. One episode generated more than two dozens calls to police. At least one Medford business barred him from the property because of his behavior.

The 22-year-old Medford man is so familiar to police in the southern Oregon city that top officials in the 103-member police force refer to him simply as "Warren" when describing their interactions with him. Officers receive training specifically on how to approach Drouin and others in the so-called open carry movement, which promotes the ability to openly carry guns.

Tim Doney, Medford's deputy police chief, said department officials have emphasized to officers that not everyone openly carrying a weapon will be as benign as Drouin.

"We go out on every one of these calls," Doney said. "And who knows? The next one may be the one that is an active shooter."

You can listen to some of the 911 calls from terrified citizens who weren't aware they were being educated at this link.

I really don't think this is the way to go about winning the hearts and minds of people who supportive of gun control, and I think these "activists" know that. Or...maybe not. From Warren Drouin's Facebook page, he says he was "homeschooled," and...:

"I am a full flesh libertarian and a gun right extremest. We the people should control our government and bring us back to when we had and own our Life, Liberty, and Property. I hate socialist, dictators, and corrupt Government. We are losing are rights every day while not knowing it and then it become to late."

In the Youtube video below, listen to the runaround the armed men give the local police when they simply ask to see their gun permits (You need a concealed carry permit to carry a loaded weapon in public) and identification:

Yet another instance in which a gun was a really bad idea.

Via:

A Denver mother who believed her daughter was being bullied at school drove into the school's parking lot and threatened four girls with a gun, according to an arrest document.

Monica Avila, 34, was charged Tuesday with four counts of felony menacing and one count of possession of a weapon on school grounds, also a felony. According to the probable cause statement accompanying her arrest paperwork, Avila drove into the parking lot at Lake Middle School on Thursday afternoon and confronted four girls, ages 13 and 14.

The statement says Avila began arguing with the girls about bullying. She then, while still sitting in her car, pulled out a black semi-automatic handgun and said, "Look what I have," the document states.

Now Monica is in jail in lieu of $50k bail, and with those felony charges, it could be a long while before she isn't behind bars. The "bullies" will still be at school with Monica's daughter, and there will no doubt be a "special" grudge there that could potentially last a lifetime. A gun in your face isn't something anyone would likely soon forget.

Even without firing a single bullet, this case of poor judgement with a gun will affect many more lives than just Monica's for years to come. It may only have been dumb luck that no one was killed this time.

Yikes, quite a scare for Occupy New Haven members yesterday when one protester found himself face to face with a man armed with a semi-automatic handgun in the wee morning hours.

Dairres Walden, 22, was caught with "black baseball gloves and a knit ski mask, police said. A loaded Cobra CA 380 .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun was shoved into the waistband of his pants, according to police spokesman Officer David Hartman."

Police said the serial number on the gun had been altered.

Around 1:13 a.m., police were called to the upper area of the New Haven Green, located at the intersection of College and Elm streets. An Occupy New Haven demonstrator had contacted officers about a group of young men who were yelling "wake up" and kicking the occupiers' tents as they walked through the encampment.

According to police, Sabatino said he confronted the men and had a gun pulled on him. Another demonstrator named Henry Rodriguez heard the commotion and left his tent to see what was going on. He told officers he saw one member of the group pointing a gun at Sabatino.

The gunman, along with the rest of the group, took off running west on Elm Street toward York Street.

Yale police caught up with Walden near Urban Outfitters at 51 Broadway. After a struggle, Walden was apprehended and taken into custody.

Walden was charged with the violation of five crimes, including three for weapons violations.

No word on the other men who were with Walden in the camp.

[Hartford Courant, WTNH]