Police in Danville, Virginia, arrested a man accused of pouring gasoline on a city councilman and setting him on fire in a personal dispute.
The Danville Police Department said Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, 29, went to Lee Vogler’s workplace Wednesday and covered him in a flammable liquid.
Mr. Vogler, 38, and Mr. Hayes then went outside, where Mr. Hayes lit the councilman on fire, police said.
Mr. Hayes’ forcible entry and the alleged attack took place at the offices of Southwest Virginia publication Showcase Magazine, where Mr. Vogler works as director of sales, at about 11:10 a.m. Wednesday, the magazine said.
Mr. Hayes fled the scene, but police stopped him several blocks away and arrested him without further incident. Police are holding him in the city jail on no bond and charged him with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding.
The Danville Fire Department airlifted Mr. Vogler for medical treatment.
Police said they didn’t know the full extent of his injuries and didn’t specify the liquid Mr. Hayes is accused of using.
Showcase Magazine said gasoline was used in the incident and that Mr. Vogler suffered “serious burn injuries.”
Neither Danville authorities nor Showcase Magazine had offered further updates on Mr. Vogler’s condition as of Thursday morning.
Mr. Vogler and Mr. Hayes know each other, police said. Investigators believe the attack was personal in nature and unrelated to Mr. Vogler’s political affiliation or position in the city government.
In 2024, Mr. Vogler ran as an independent for a seat on the Danville City Council, which is nonpartisan. He is a Republican, according to local site Cardinal News.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who appointed Mr. Vogler to the Virginia Small Business Commission in 2022, said on social media that “our prayers go out to Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler who was violently attacked at his workplace earlier today. We pray for a swift recovery for Lee and peace to be on the entire Danville community.”
Former Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder, a Democrat, told Cardinal News that he taught Mr. Vogler at Virginia Commonwealth University when the latter was getting his bachelor’s degree. Mr. Wilder also endorsed Mr. Vogler in 2024.
“That just makes me mad to see that he’s hurt. I just hope that this does not cause him any withdrawing from public life. The people are very fortunate to have someone like Lee Vogler,” Mr. Wilder told Cardinal News.
Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones said, “Today, our community was shaken by an unthinkable act of violence against Councilman Lee Vogler. … Our prayers are with Lee and his loved ones. We are grateful to our first responders and law enforcement for their swift action.”
Showcase Magazine publisher Andrew Brooks told Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s WXII-TV, “This type of senseless act of violence has to stop. 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.”
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.