Pistorius Dad Hit for 'Racist' Gun Comment

The Pistorius family has a "media liaison team," but Oscar's dad apparently didn't check in with said experts before talking to the Telegraph. The family is today distancing itself from Henke Pistorius' statement that some of the 55 guns owned by his family are used for protection—while blaming the ruling African National Congress for the high rate of violent crime, specifically "white crime levels," and concluding that "you can't rely on the police." The family says it is "deeply concerned" about the comments, and maintains that family weapons are used "purely for sport and hunting purposes."

The ANC had even harsher words, calling the comments "racist" and "devoid of truth" and disavowing them "with contempt," reports the AFP. Meanwhile, the New York Post surfaces what it calls a "tragic" photo of Reeva Steenkamp posted to Instagram in July, a few months before she started dating the sprinter. It depicts the model at a gun range firing what appears to be a 9mm pistol, with the caption, "Shooting Games this morning! I feel less stressed now :)"