Ozzy Osbourne Breaks Silence On His Former Guitarist Getting Shot In Las Vegas

Ozzy Osbourne's former guitarist, Jake E. Lee, becomes another victim of gun violence.

The guitarist was reportedly shot in the early hours of Tuesday, October 15, on his morning walk in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is reportedly in the intensive care unit.

Jake E. Lee became Ozzy Osbourne's lead guitarist in 1982 after Randy Rhoads tragically passed away and has performed on various projects alongside the rock legend.

A representative of the musician disclosed that Lee was shot multiple times while taking his dog out for a walk in Las Vegas. 

He was immediately rushed for quick medical attention and is now fully conscious and in good condition after the attack. The guitarist is reportedly still in the intensive care unit in a hospital in Vegas, but he is projected to make a full recovery very soon.

According to the police investigating the shocking incident, the musician may have been a victim of a "completely random" 2:40 AM street shooting and not a targeted victim in the gun violence incident.

TMZ gathered from the Las Vegas Metro Police that no arrests have been made connecting to the shooting. The guitarist's family also asked for their privacy to be respected as he recovers from his injuries.

Following news of the incident, Osbourne expressed his shock, saying, "It's been 37 years since I've seen Jake E. Lee, but that still doesn't take away from the shock of hearing what happened to him today."

He described the incident as "another senseless act of gun violence" as he sent his thoughts to him and his daughter, Jade, adding: "I just hope he'll be ok."

Lee and Osbourne worked together on classic albums, including "Bark at the Moon" in 1983 and "The Ultimate Sin" in 1986. The guitarist also released hits like "Shot in the Dark" and "Killer of Giants" as solo projects during his era as an active guitarist.

Last year, The Blast reported that Osbourne expressed his optimism about returning back to the studio after completing the final stage of his spinal surgery.

The legend noted that he has "had all the surgery now, thank god. I'm feeling okay- it was just dragging on." He continued that he thought he would be back on his feet months back as he could not get used to his new normal of "constantly having something wrong."

Osbourne also disclosed his plans to begin a new album project to complement his two recent albums- 2020's "Ordinary Man" and 2022's "Patient Number 9".

He explained that he had a studio set up at his home in the UK with hopes of reuniting with Andrew Watt, who produced his last two albums.

Osbourne's spinal injury resulted in the cancelation of his highly anticipated "No More Tours 2" last year and an eventual decision to retire from touring.

The European tour earlier slated for 2019 was postponed three times already and the decision to shelve it again left the musician in a terrible mood. He took to social media to apologize to his fans for disappointing them as he disclosed that he did not see his touring days ending in such an uneventful way.

"This is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to share with my loyal fans. As you may all know, four years ago this month, I had a major accident where I damaged my spine," the singer explained.

He continued: "My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage. My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy sessions, and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak."

The icon opened up about his ongoing episode with addiction and admitted he has gone back to indulging in marijuana to help him deal with the pain of his health issues.

The Blast reported that the rockstar has had a protracted battle with alcoholism and drug addiction since the 1970s and has stayed sober for some years now since his first of many trips for medical help in 1984.

He then admitted that he has been feeling the urge to pick up stronger drugs since he relapsed from smoking marijuana because of his health chronicles.

Osbourne is, however, happier now, as he praised his wife, Sharon Osbourne, for keeping him grounded and restricting him from returning to his old habits.

"I am lucky my wife kicks my butt all the time, and she would make life so difficult," he shared. "Even with marijuana, she will f—king find it and get rid of it."

Best wishes to Ozzy Osbourne and his former guitarist for a speedy recovery!