Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee, now 68, has shared a detailed account of the October 15, 2024, shooting that left him with three gunshot wounds while walking his dog in a Las Vegas neighborhood. In a recent interview on the “Talk Is Jericho” podcast hosted by Fozzy frontman and wrestler Chris Jericho, Lee described the encounter as a mix of misfortune and remarkable luck.
The incident occurred around 2:30 or 3:00 a.m., approximately 10 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, during a routine late-night walk with his 85-pound pitbull, Coco, to avoid the lingering October heat. Lee noticed two hooded individuals inspecting a motorcycle in a neighbor’s driveway. As he approached, the pair fled down the street in the same direction he was heading home.
“They kept looking over their shoulders, and I think they mistook me for following them,” Lee recalled. A verbal confrontation ensued when the men shone flashlights in his face and demanded he leave the area. Lee, feeling unafraid due to his dog’s presence and perceiving the individuals as young and slight, responded defiantly. He suggested they part ways, but one called him a derogatory name, prompting him to turn back briefly before gunfire erupted.
Lee initially saw muzzle flashes and heard bullets whizzing past, believing the shooter was targeting his dog. He released the leash, and Coco escaped unharmed despite additional shots fired in its direction. Only then did Lee realize he had been hit: a bullet grazed his forearm, another struck his back, and a third entered his heel and exited near his toes. Remarkably, none caused immediate pain—described as a burn in the arm, a push in the back, and a vibrating sensation in the foot—until he collapsed.
While on the ground, Lee used his phone, unusually placed in his shirt pocket that night, to call 911. He was rushed to Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center’s intensive care unit.
Reflecting on his injuries, Lee emphasized several fortunate elements. The forearm wound passed through muscle without damaging bones or veins, healing quickly. The back bullet narrowly missed his spine, breaking ribs and puncturing a lung but avoiding paralysis—confirmed only later when his daughter photographed the entry point. The foot injury was deflected by a titanium heel implant from a prior accident 18 years earlier, preserving his toes and preventing more severe damage.
“Getting shot was unlucky, but everything about it ended up being lucky,” Lee stated.
Police recovered 15 shell casings at the scene. Authorities arrested the suspects two weeks later, spurred by national and international media attention and pressure from local officials to resolve the case swiftly. The firearm was linked to two prior murders, and the shooter faced charges including those killings and attempted murder on Lee. The guitarist expressed relief, noting the perpetrator’s poor aim and intent to kill.
Lee’s dog emerged unscathed, and he has since recovered sufficiently to perform, including at the “Back To The Beginning” all-star event in Birmingham, UK, in July 2025, marking Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne’s final show.
In a statement to TMZ following the incident, Ozzy Osbourne expressed shock: “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. It’s just another senseless act of gun violence. I send my thoughts to him and his beautiful daughter, Jade. I just hope he’ll be OK.”
Lee, who replaced the late Randy Rhoads in Osbourne’s band, contributed to the albums Bark at the Moon (1983) and The Ultimate Sin (1986). He later formed Badlands, released solo efforts Retraced (2005) and Guitar Warrior (2007), and fronted Red Dragon Cartel with albums in 2014 and 2018.
