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

Media from South Africa identified the victim as Steenkamp, a 30-year-old model and law school graduate, according to her Twitter page.

The publicist for Steenkamp confirmed that she died Thursday, calling it "devastating and shocking." Sarit Tomlinson, Steenkamp's publicist, told Britains' Sky News that the the pair had been together for a couple months.

"She was a rising star ... a very bright young girl," Tomlinson said. She added that "no one knows what happened" on Thursday but "we are in communication with the people on the scene."

The couple dated for several months and "seemed happy," Tomlinson told TODAY on Thursday.

Steenkamp gushed about Valentine's Day on Twitter Wednesday, posting, "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow???" and "It should be a day of love for everyone."

Steenkamp was born in Capetown, South Africa, and raised in Port Elizabeth, according to her Facebook page. She earned a law degree at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University before moving to Johannesburg. There she worked as the South African face of cosmetics maker Avon.

Steenkamp was featured in men's magazine FHM in December 2011 and named one of the publication's 100 Sexiest Women in the World for two years in a row. She was scheduled to appear on the fifth season of a South African reality show Tropika Island of Treasure, slated to premiere Saturday. The show places seven celebrities and seven other contestants against one another in exotic locations for a cash prize.

As a model Steenkamp did promotional work for Toyota, Clover, the Italian brand Zui, and others, according to World News. She was also a live presenter for the South Africa's FashionTV.