The man who held the Guinness World Record for living the longest with a bullet in his head has died at the age of 103.

The Modesto Bee newspaper reported that William Lawlis Pace died in his sleep at a California nursing home − 94 and a half years after his older brother accidentally shot him with their father’s .22 calibre rifle in 1917. Mr Pace learned that he had been crowned the world record holder in the category of unwanted cranial ammunition acquisition in 2006.

His son told a newspaper last year that doctors in Mr Pace’s native Texas left the bullet in place because they feared surgery might cause brain damage.

The injury damaged one of his eyes but did not prevent Mr Pace from working as a cemetery custodian.

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