South African media reported on Friday that Paralympic and Olympic track star Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend four times through a bathroom door at his Pretoria home.
Pistorius is due to appear in court on a murder charge. Police have given few details of the shooting, other than to say his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, died of gun-shot wounds.
The arrest of the 26-year-old Olympic and Paralympic track star stunned a nation that reveres him as a hero who triumphed over adversity to compete with able-bodied athletes at the highest levels of sport.
Pistorius had initially been expected to appear in court on Thursday but the hearing was postponed to Friday, National Prosecuting Authority officials said. He is expected to appear shortly after the court opens at 0700 GMT.
South African newspapers plastered the killing across their front pages, relegating a State of the Nation address by President Jacob Zuma in parliament to a distant second.
The coverage reflected shock and dismay at the fall of a sporting hero who commanded rare respect on all sides of South Africa's racial divides.
Pistorius' girlfriend tweeted 'This should be a day of love' hours before death
Pistorius' girlfriend tweeted 'This should be a day of love' hours before death