Durante años, el atleta paralímpico Oscar Pistorius fue considerado como un símbolo de superación. Había nacido sin peronés en ambas piernas y, tras ser amputado cuando era apenas un bebé, logró convertirse en una de las figuras más admirables del deporte mundial.

Incluso, sus prótesis de fibra de carbono y sus marcas en la pista le valieron el apodo de “Blade Runner” y lo llevaron a hacer historia: fue el primer atleta amputado en competir en unos Juegos Olímpicos junto a deportistas sin discapacidad.

Sin embargo, su imagen inspiradora cambió con un hecho inesperado. En la madrugada del 14 de febrero de 2023, en el Día de San Valentín, Pistorius asesinó a tiros a su novia, Reeva Steenkamp, dentro de su casa en la ciudad de Pretoria, en Sudáfrica. El crimen generó conmoción en todo el mundo y dio inicio a uno de los juicios más mediáticos de las últimas décadas.

La madrugada del crimen

Era el Día de los Enamorados cuando vecinos de un exclusivo complejo residencial escucharon disparos que provenían de la casa del atleta paralímpico. Minutos después, Steenkamp, que se dedicaba al modelaje, sufrió varios disparos en el brazo, la cadera y la cabeza, y quedó gravemente herida en el baño de la propiedad. Murió antes de poder ser trasladada a un hospital.

La escena generó dudas desde el principio, porque la puerta del baño estaba destruida. Según determinó la investigación, Pistorius disparó cuatro veces a través de ella con una pistola 9 milímetros. El atleta aseguró que creyó que había un ladrón escondido detrás de la puerta y que actuó por miedo.

En su declaración, explicó que se despertó durante la madrugada, escuchó ruidos y pensó que un intruso había ingresado a la casa. Dijo que tomó su arma sin ponerse las prótesis y avanzó hacia el baño. Según su versión, disparó sin saber que Steenkamp estaba allí porque creyó que seguía en la cama.

Sin embargo, la fiscalía construyó una hipótesis completamente distinta. Los investigadores sostuvieron que la pareja había tenido una discusión previa y que Pistorius disparó intencionalmente contra la modelo. Algunos vecinos declararon haber escuchado gritos antes de los disparos, un punto que se volvió clave durante el juicio.

La muerte de Steenkamp tuvo enorme repercusión en Sudáfrica y en el resto del mundo. La víctima no era una desconocida: además de modelo, tenía una creciente carrera en televisión y participaba activamente en campañas contra la violencia de género.

La investigación avanzó en medio de una presión mediática enorme. Los peritajes se centraron especialmente en reconstruir qué ocurrió dentro de la casa durante aquellos minutos previos a los disparos. La fiscalía intentó demostrar que Pistorius actuó con intención homicida, mientras que la defensa insistió en que todo había sido una trágica confusión.

Uno de los puntos más debatidos fue la personalidad del atleta y su relación con las armas de fuego. Durante el proceso surgieron testimonios que lo describían como una persona obsesionada con la seguridad y temerosa de sufrir robos.

La reconstrucción de la escena del crimen fue otro aspecto central. Los investigadores analizaron trayectorias de bala, manchas de sangre, la posición del cuerpo de la víctima y hasta los movimientos del atleta dentro de la vivienda.

El juicio, la condena y la libertad condicional

El juicio, que empezó el 3 de marzo de 2014, fue transmitido en vivo desde el Tribunal Superior de Pretoria y convirtió al caso en un fenómeno global. Millones de personas siguieron las audiencias en tiempo real, incluyendo los testimonios de los peritos, policías y vecinos del complejo donde ocurrió el crimen.

Mientras tanto, Pistorius alternaba entre momentos en los que se mostraba con frialdad y escenas de profundo quiebre emocional. En varias audiencias vomitó, lloró y se tapó los oídos mientras se describían las heridas sufridas por Steenkamp.

En septiembre de 2014, la jueza Thokozile Masipa dio a conocer el primer fallo. Contra lo que esperaba gran parte de la opinión pública, Pistorius fue declarado culpable de homicidio culposo. La magistrada concluyó que la fiscalía no había podido probar que hubiera existido intención directa de matar a Steenkamp.

La decisión provocó una fuerte polémica internacional, debido a que muchos sectores consideraron que el atleta había recibido un trato privilegiado por su fama y posición social. Finalmente, Pistorius fue condenado a cinco años de prisión.

Sin embargo, la historia judicial estaba lejos de terminar. La fiscalía apeló el fallo y un tribunal superior revisó el caso. En 2015, la Corte Suprema de Apelaciones de Sudáfrica anuló la condena inicial y determinó que Pistorius sí había cometido asesinato.

Los jueces argumentaron que, más allá de quién estuviera detrás de la puerta, el atleta sabía que disparar cuatro veces con munición letal contra una persona encerrada en un baño podía causar la muerte. La nueva calificación cambió completamente el rumbo del caso.

Tras nuevas revisiones judiciales, la pena fue elevada a 13 años y cinco meses de prisión. Pistorius fue trasladado nuevamente a la cárcel y permaneció detenido durante varios años.

La familia de Reeva Steenkamp insistió reiteradamente en que nunca creyó en la versión del accidente y reclamó justicia desde el primer momento. La madre de la joven, June Steenkamp, llegó a publicar un libro llamado Reeva: la historia de una madre, en el cual escribió sobre el impacto que tuvo el crimen de su hija y cuestionó duramente al deportista.

Leé también: El impactante caso de la mujer que asesinó, descuartizó y cocino la cabeza de su marido en un guiso

Finalmente, en enero de 2024, Oscar Pistorius obtuvo la libertad condicional después de cumplir parte de la condena. La Justicia sudafricana autorizó su salida de prisión bajo estrictas condiciones: no puede consumir alcohol, debe realizar terapia y tiene limitaciones para desplazarse y dar entrevistas públicas.

NEW YORK — The People’s Forum Inc., a pro-China nonprofit that has been funded by Shanghai-based Marxist mogul Neville Roy Singham, bought a rundown building in Manhattan for $5.15 million and is now urging supporters to raise another $5 million to renovate the building — and to turn it into a «permanent home» for its far-left organizing efforts in the U.S.

The fundraising drive comes as lawmakers and federal officials investigate Singham’s network over what they have described as a foreign-aligned influence operation promoting Chinese Communist Party narratives in the U.S. Scrutiny of China’s influence has intensified in recent days, including the resignation of a California mayor who agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China.

The People’s Forum, a central organization within the Singham network, says it serves as a hub for more than 200 organizations and has helped coordinate left-wing protests across the U.S. since its founding in 2017.

The group told supporters on X Friday that it is urgently seeking to raise $2 million from individual donors by a December 2026 deadline, its first major fundraising target since it launched a broader $5 million campaign in September.

The group hasn’t publicly disclosed the address of the new building, but property records obtained by Fox News Digital show it purchased a three-story building at 137 W. 14th Street in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood for $5.15 million in December 2024. Sources familiar with the transaction told Fox News Digital that the W. 14th Street building is the new nonprofit’s new headquarters. The details of the transaction and the records documenting the sale are being reported here for the first time. The records don’t detail how the purchase was financed.

FAR-LEFT NONPROFITS IN THE HOT SEAT AS LAWMAKER EXPOSES THEM FOR ‘SOWING CHAOS’ IN US

The fundraising and expansion drive comes as Congress is investigating what lawmakers have described as a «foreign-aligned influence network» tied to Singham. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said the nonprofit’s funding structures raise «significant concerns» about «foreign influence or control.»

According to a Fox News Digital investigation, Singham has funneled $285 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, and Justice, State and Treasury Department officials are investigating financial activity tied to the network, including $22.5 million in funding directed to the People’s Forum.

Since 2017, the Singham network has led volatile protests across the country, with organizations including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the ANSWER Coalition, CodePink and BreakThrough News working with the People’s Forum to organize demonstrations and coordinate messaging, Fox News Digital has reported.

The People’s Forum, which brags about publishing «over 25 revolutionary texts» and organizing «over 6,000 events,» said on its website that it initially relied on support from a «generous donor» to establish its operations in 2017, but that new cash injections are desperately needed.

«Our initial donation is running out,» the organization wrote in a September appeal, adding that it now faces a «critical new stage.» The organization said the new building «right now is just a shell» and would require millions in renovations to become operational.

The narrow, mixed-use property appeared vacant when Fox News Digital visited the location on Tuesday.

PHOTOS: Swipe to see more exterior images

The storefront, previously occupied by a curtains and shades business, was painted black, with its signage removed and the front windows covered by a dark tarp. The entrance doors appeared to be covered with brown paper and a metal fire escape runs along the exterior, tan-colored facade. Property records describe the building as a roughly 2,580-square-foot lot with a footprint of approximately 25 feet wide by 96 feet deep.

«We need your help to make this urgent project come to reality,» the group wrote on Friday amid a renewed fundraising drive, sharing images of the building’s interior in disrepair, including exposed wires and other structural damage.

The purchase and fundraising push reflect the group’s effort to expand its organizing infrastructure, raising questions about the scale and reach of its operations.

PHOTOS: Swipe to see more interior images

CHINA’S AMERICAN MAO: INSIDE SINGHAM’S BLUEPRINT TO ‘WAGE WAR’ FOR A ‘NEW WORLD ORDER’

The group previously said the decision to purchase the new building was driven in part by the need to replace its current leased space and create what it described as a permanent base that «cannot be threatened by landlords or political attacks.»

The building previously sold for about $4.3 million in 2022, meaning the People’s Forum paid $850,000 more just over two years later.

City records also show the building has active violations, including issues tied to elevators and the boiler system, with about $20,000 in civil penalties currently outstanding, suggesting the building requires substantial repairs.

«The condition of disrepair in this building will take millions of dollars to renovate,» the group said in the Friday post. It has so far raised around $570,000 for the renovations, according to its website.

PHOTOS: Swipe to see more interior images

FAR-LEFT NONPROFITS IN THE HOT SEAT AS LAWMAKER EXPOSES THEM FOR ‘SOWING CHAOS’ IN US

The People’s Forum operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, allowing it to receive tax-deductible donations under U.S. law.

While the property is owned by the People’s Forum, city filings show David Chung, the group’s organizing director, signed a property ownership certification tied to the building in October 2025.

Chung, who was born in South Korea and grew up in New York City, has also been identified in prior Fox News Digital reporting as directing protest activity in New York City. In one protest, he referred to supporters as «comrades.»

He has also appeared at protests where he referred to the «brutality of this imperialist system» in the U.S. and led chants of «Free Palestine,» according to a video posted by the organization. In a caption accompanying the video, the group described the conflict in Gaza as a «genocide.»

The group said it has «trained over 40,000 people» through political education programs, positioning the space as a central node for activist organizing.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

David Chung, organizing director at The People’s Forum, left, and Manolo De Los Santos, the group’s executive director, right, are shown in a split image. Both have been involved in organizing protest activity tied to the group. (Nikolas Lanum/Fox News Digital)

In a video released as part of the fundraising push, Manolo De Los Santos, the group’s executive director, said the 200 organizations that make up the People’s Forum are «united in the struggle» for racial, gender, climate, and economic justice, with the new building aimed at playing a vital role in the group’s future operations.

De Los Santos, who was born in the Dominican Republic and grew up in The Bronx, described the People’s Forum as a «hub for learning and for organizing» and where «we strategize… and build solidarity to fight back.»

«Your contribution isn’t just a donation, it’s an investment in our collective future of freedom,» he said. «It’s a direct act of resistance. It’s how we protect spaces that allow us to organize and to win.»

The People’s Forum, De Los Santos and Chung didn’t respond to requests for comment.

WATCH: Organizing director of People’s Forum, funded by pro-China tycoon Neville Roy Singham, directs May Day streets protests in NYC

President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is on «massive life support,» as retired U.S. commanders and national security experts are increasingly split whether Washington should resume military operations against Tehran or avoid what critics warn could become another prolonged Middle East conflict.

«I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support,» Trump told reporters Monday. «Where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living.’»

Trump also dismissed Iran’s latest response to a proposed agreement as «a piece of garbage,» amid reports the White House is reviewing military options should negotiations collapse.

Retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, former national security adviser under Trump, said he believes Iran’s leadership is unlikely to make the concessions Trump considers necessary for a deal.

WHITE HOUSE WARNS IRAN AGAINST BALKING AT DEAL: TRUMP READY TO ‘UNLEASH HELL’

«I think the Iranian leadership and IRGC are unwilling to make the kind of concessions that President Trump thinks are at the minimum,» McMaster told Fox News Digital, referring to Iran’s hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

«President Trump always wants a deal,» he added. «But he’s not going to sign up for a bad deal.»

The emerging debate now centers on a core question facing Washington: whether additional military pressure could force Iran to abandon its nuclear and missile ambitions, or whether renewed strikes would deepen a regional conflict without producing decisive results.

Retired Vice Adm. Mark Fox, former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said he believes the current ceasefire and diplomatic track are unlikely to force Iran to back down.

«I really cannot envision anything other than a full return to combat operations,» Fox told Fox News Digital. «The only thing that they will respond to, I think ultimately, is force.»

Fox argued the U.S. military remains capable of reopening and securing commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing Iranian threats against vessels transiting the waterway.

HORMUZ CHOKE POINT PERSISTS AS IRAN HALTS OIL TRAFFIC DESPITE TRUMP CEASEFIRE

Supporters of renewed military action argue Iran is weaker than it has been in decades and that stopping now risks allowing Tehran to regroup, rebuild its missile arsenal and preserve leverage over one of the world’s most important energy choke points. (AP Photo)

«This is a militarily obtainable objective,» he said, outlining a strategy involving guided missile destroyers, attack helicopters, drones and expanded aerial surveillance to create a protected maritime corridor through the Strait.

Fox acknowledged the U.S. Navy is smaller than it was during the 1980s tanker wars, but argued American forces still possess the capability to secure the chokepoint if Washington commits enough naval assets and persistent monitoring operations.

«It’s not easy,» Fox said. «But the geography is fixed.»

He described a possible strategy that would rely on destroyers, drones and attack aircraft to create what he called an «unblinking eye» over the strait, allowing U.S. forces to identify and neutralize Iranian speedboats, drones and anti-shipping threats before they can strike commercial vessels.

Fox also warned against allowing Iran to preserve leverage over Hormuz while continuing to advance its missile and nuclear programs.

«If not now, when?» he said. «If they had a nuclear weapon, they would use it.»

EXPERTS WARN IRAN’S NUCLEAR DOUBLE-TALK DESIGNED TO BUY TIME, UNDERMINE US PRESSURE

But not everyone agrees that renewed military action would produce a better outcome. (Contributor/Getty Images)

Fox, who also signed onto a recent policy paper by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, echoed the report’s argument that Iran is using negotiations to buy time while preserving its military capabilities.

The paper was authored by several retired senior U.S. military officials and national security experts, including retired Gen. Chuck Wald, former deputy commander of U.S. European Command and retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward, former deputy commander of CENTCOM, argued the current ceasefire and diplomatic track «cannot reliably compel Iran» to meet U.S. demands and warned Tehran was seeking to «drag out talks, erode U.S. resolve, and use the time to strengthen itself.»

The report called for expanded military operations targeting Iran’s maritime capabilities, missile infrastructure and internal coercive apparatus while avoiding broad attacks on civilian infrastructure that could trigger wider regional escalation.

But not everyone agrees that renewed military action would produce a better outcome.

Retired Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, a senior fellow at Defense Priorities and longtime critic of expanded U.S. military interventions, warned that calls to «finish the job» ignore the realities exposed during the recent fighting.

«To ‘finish the job,’ as they say, is irrational,» Davis told Fox News Digital. «It’s illogical, and it violates any kind of military principle.»

KEITH KELLOGG URGES US TO ‘FINISH THE JOB’ AGAINST IRAN BY SEIZING ISLANDS, STRANGLING ECONOMY

A screengrab from a video released by U.S. Central Command shows smoke and dust rising after an explosion at an unknown location during the operation dubbed Epic Fury, an attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, released Feb. 28, 2026. (CENTCOM/Reuters)

Davis argued that despite thousands of strikes and weeks of fighting, Iran retained significant missile and maritime capabilities.

«We couldn’t knock them out with 14,000 targets hit,» he said. «Why does anybody think that going back another time is going to have a different result?»

He described Iran’s geography, dispersed missile infrastructure and asymmetric naval tactics as creating what he called «a militarily unsolvable problem.»

«The only thing left is a diplomatic outcome,» Davis said.

The disagreement reflects a broader divide emerging in Washington as officials weigh what comes next if negotiations fail.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Supporters of renewed military action argue Iran is weaker than it has been in decades and that stopping now risks allowing Tehran to regroup, rebuild its missile arsenal and preserve leverage over one of the world’s most important energy choke points.

Critics counter that even extensive U.S. and Israeli strikes failed to fundamentally break the regime’s control or eliminate its military capabilities, raising the risk that further escalation could drag the United States into another drawn-out regional conflict with uncertain results.