Witnesses heard woman scream before Pistorius fired

Pretoria, South Africa • Witnesses heard a woman screaming before gunshots fired by Oscar Pistorius killed his girlfriend early on Valentines' Day, South African prosecutors said Monday, contradicting the Paralympic champion's version of events as he was indicted for premeditated murder.

Pistorius, who was in court for the indictment and wept before proceedings began, also will face a charge of illegal possession of ammunition when he goes on trial March 3 in the South African capital, Pretoria.

The much-awaited indictment in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court yielded new detail about how prosecutors will pursue a case that has gripped the world because of the celebrity status of Pistorius, who overcame the loss of both his legs as a child to become a global phenomenon and Olympic competitor. His girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, a model and budding reality TV show star, would have celebrated her 30th birthday Monday.

Pistorius has said he thought Steenkamp was in bed and he shouted at her to call the police, believing there was a dangerous intruder in his bathroom, and that he didn't know she was in the toilet cubicle when he fired through its door four times. He has said he shouted at her to call the police, but not that she screamed.

The prosecution will attempt to show the couple argued before she was killed as part of its case that Pistorius intended to kill Steenkamp.