VA Councilman Doused With Gasoline, Set On Fire In Attack

DANVILLE, VA — A city councilman in southern Virginia was doused in gasoline and set on fire Wednesday in what police described as a targeted attack.

Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler, 38, was attacked around 11:30 a.m. at the office of Showcase Magazine, located in the 700 block of Main Street in Danville, according to police and magazine publisher Andrew Brooks.

Police said 29-year-old Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes entered Vogler's place of employment, confronted him and doused him with a flammable liquid. Hayes and Vogler both left the building, where police said Hayes set Vogler on fire.

According to Brooks, the accelerant used by the attacker was a five-gallon container of gas, which he poured over Vogler.

"Lee attempted to flee, ran to the front of the building," Brooks said in a video statement shared on social media. "The individual followed him and set him on fire."

Police said Hayes fled the scene following the incident, but witnesses gave authorities a description of him and his vehicle. Officers located and stopped his car several blocks away, and Hayes was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Police said Vogler and Hayes knew each other and believe the attack stemmed from a personal matter unrelated to Vogler's position on the Danville City Council or political affiliation.

On Wednesday afternoon, Danville Vice-Mayor James Buckner confirmed to ABC13 that Vogler was flown by helicopter to the University of North Carolina burn unit in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He was also treated at the burn center in Lynchburg, Brooks said.

"This type of senseless act of violence has to stop," Brooks said in his statement. "You do not have the right as a human being to get upset with someone enough to lash out and attempt to harm them, in any way, much less this way."

Due to the ongoing investigation, the Danville Police Department said it would not provide any further details about the incident; however, charges against Hayes are pending.

Vogler was elected to the Danville City Council in May 2012. At 24, he was the youngest person ever elected to the position.

In 2017, Vogler was recognized by the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association as Virginia Local Legislator of the Year, according to his biography on the city of Danville's website. In 2022, he was also appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to the Virginia Small Business Commission.

Get The Latest Local News (For Free!) With One Quick Tap