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Trace Adkins Says Ex-Wife Shot Him, No Charges

7/30/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Trace Adkins said his ex-wife Julie Curtis shot him in 1994.
He said the gun was under his left arm, the bullet exited his right arm and pierced his heart and lungs.
Doctors performed emergency trauma surgery and a follow-up open-heart operation six months later.
He did not press charges, saying he holds no ill will because Curtis thought the gun was a toy.

History

Historical Context

On December 8 1980, former Beatle John Lennon was fatally shot outside his New York Dakota apartment by fan Mark David Chapman, who fired five hollow-point rounds from a .38 Special revolver. The killing sparked worldwide mourning and, weeks later, John Hinckley Jr.’s attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan, highlighting a surge in high-profile gun violence that prompted renewed debates on firearm regulation.

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Story summary

Trace Adkins said his ex-wife Julie Curtis shot him in 1994.
He said the gun was under his left arm, the bullet exited his right arm and pierced his heart and lungs.
Doctors performed emergency trauma surgery and a follow-up open-heart operation six months later.
He did not press charges, saying he holds no ill will because Curtis thought the gun was a toy.

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