Pistorius left 9-mm gun out during magazine photo shoot

Oscar Pistorius apparently had a penchant for weapons and, besides keeping a Taurus 9mm handgun strewn about on his nightstand, the Olympic track star had applied for an arsenal of gun licenses only weeks before he was charged with murdering his girlfriend.

In a Paris Match magazine photo taken before the shooting, a silver Brazilian-made Taurus can be seen within arm's reach of his bed lying about with such mundane items as his keys, TV remote and his designer watch.  The gun wasn't even put away during the photo shoot.

Many believe this paints the picture of a disturbed, gun-crazy young man who committed premeditated murder.

The criminal case against the double-amputee known as the "Blade Runner" has taken on some surreal and O.J. Simpson-like turns — including Pistorius' claim that he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp three times by accident and some shoddy police work by the authorities — and it's only in the bail hearing stage.

The prosecution contends Pistorius was not just a casual gun user but a gun nut trying to assemble an arsenal of weaponry just days before he killed the South African model.

A report from The Associated Press has sullied the one-time Olympic star's reputation. It claims Pistorius applied for firearms licenses for a Smith & Wesson model 500 revolver, a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, a Vector .223-caliber rifle and three shotguns only three weeks before the tragic Valentine's Day shooting.

Pistorius used a licensed 9-mm Parabellum pistol to shoot Steenkamp — a different gun than the Taurus in the photo shoot.

Pistorius does not deny shooting the 29-year-old model but claims he thought Steenkamp was an intruder when he took four shots through the bathroom door.

The prosecution meanwhile had to admit to some sloppy police work including falsely identifying steroids in Pistorius' home, tramping through the crime scene in unprotected boots and lead investigator, Detective Hilton Botha, facing murder charges himself.

Pistorius' defense team is still trying to get the shamed 26-year-old athlete released on bail ahead of his trial, but has been denied.  He reportedly owns a house in Italy and prosecutors believe he is a flight risk.

"If he left, it would be difficult to get him back," said Botha.

Pistorius is facing life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder.