Ozzy Osbourne revealed he was shocked to receive the news that his former guitarist Jake E. Lee was the victim of an attack in the early hours of Tuesday, May 15th, in Las Vegas. The bullets hit the guitarist in the chest, arm, and foot.
Police authorities investigating the origin of the shooting believe Lee was not the direct target of the attack, but a victim of chance, having happened to be present during the exchange of gunfire. To date, the perpetrators have not been located, according to the Las Vegas Metro Police ( via TMZ ).
In a statement to TMZ , Osbourne revealed he was shocked by the news: "It's just another senseless act of gun violence."
The legendary singer also commented that he hadn't seen Lee in almost 37 years, leaving a message of support for his daughter, Jade: "I just hope he's okay."
While the police department investigates the incident, Jake E. Lee, still hospitalized, and his family asked fans to respect their privacy, while also celebrating: "I'm a lucky man to be alive" ( via TMZ ).
37 years separate Jake E. Lee and Ozzy Osbourne
The guitarist was alongside Osbourne between 1982 and 1988, participating in the production and composition of the albums Bark at the Moon (1983) and The Ultimate Sin (1986).
After his time with Ozzy, the guitarist, following a period away from the stage and the music industry, formed the hard rock band Badlands , alongside Ray Gillen and Eric Singer , releasing three albums: Badlands (1989), Voodoo Highway (1991), and Dusk (1998). The group officially disbanded in 1998 with the release of the album Dusk , five years after Ray Gillen's death.
After a few years on hiatus, in 2013, Lee launched his new project called Red Dragon Cartel , with a debut album of the same name and a subsequent second album titled Patina (2018).
Both projects, despite being heavily supported by fans, were not without their share of problems among the members.
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