Jake E. Lee broke the silence after his recent Las Vegas shooting.
Guitarist D.J. Ashba, who lives in Las Vegas, posted a text conversation with Jake on his Instagram Stories. Ashba messaged Lee and said, “Please tell me you’re okay??”
The guitarist responded, “Doing surprisingly well. I am one lucky mother f*cker. Just make sure your bday bash is wheelchair accessible! Just jestin’” Ashba then said: “So fn thankful you’re ok! Naha! U got it bro!”
Lee was shot three times about 10 miles from the Las Vegas Strip on October 15. He was taken to the hospital’s ICU, where he’s awake and ‘doing well,’ according to his representative.
Ozzy Osbourne also released a statement and told TMZ, “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.”
TMZ reported that the shooting happened at 2:40 a.m. while Lee was walking his dog. He is now awake in the hospital and being treated in the ICU. SiriusXM’s Eddie Trunk posted that Jake was shot in the chest, arm, and foot.
The bullets missed major organs except for his lung, but Jake is expected to recover fully. Eddie got this info from Jake’s manager. Las Vegas police believe the shooting was random. Since the investigation is ongoing, no more details are being shared. Lee and his family are asking for privacy.
“As the incident is under police investigation, no further comments will be forthcoming. Lee and his family appreciate respecting their privacy at this time,” the musician’s representative said in a statement.
Lee joined Osbourne’s band after Randy Rhoads died. He played on two albums: ‘Bark At The Moon’ and ‘The Ultimate Sin.’ After leaving Ozzy, Lee started the band Badlands. He later released solo albums ‘Retraced’ and ‘Guitar Warrior.’ After a break, he came back with Red Dragon Cartel and released two albums.