By Associated Press’s Olivia Diaz and Allen G. Breed
DANVILLE, Va. (AP) — Authorities said Wednesday that a man who pursued a city council member outside of his office lit it on fire after the council member raced through his office doused in gasoline.
Following the incident, which investigators say was caused by a personal issue unconnected to his politics or his job as a councilman, Lee Vogler, 38, was transported to a hospital in North Carolina, according to authorities.
Danville resident Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, the defendant, was accused of aggravated malicious wounding and attempted first-degree murder.
According to the police, the suspect attacked Vogler and doused him with flammable liquid after breaking into his workplace at a nearby magazine. Following their departure from the building, the 29-year-old suspect set Vogler on fire, according to the police.
Vogler’s father, Jack Vogler Sr., told The Associated Press that his son was rushed to a burn unit at a hospital in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and that his status was not immediately known. Regarding Vogler’s condition, UNC Health declined to comment Wednesday afternoon.
According to authorities, Hayes was being held at the Danville City Jail without bond.
A message including the suspect’s phone number was not immediately returned. The Danville Public Defender Office was contacted to inquire about their potential representation of the subject.
According to Andrew Scott Brooks, founder and owner of Showcase Magazine, a monthly publication covering southwest Virginia and North Carolina, the attack took place at the magazine’s office. The magazine and a number of other Danville businesses share a modest two-story facility.
According to Brooks, the magazine’s office at the time had two staff members. The other worker informed Brooks about the situation over the phone.
Brooks said The Associated Press, “Our door is locked.” They went to Lee after forcing their way into the office. The next thing we know, Lee is screaming for our coworker to dial 911 while sprinting across the office, coated in gasoline. He was chased outside and set on fire by the man.
“There is no reason to be angry,” he remarked. No amount of suffering can excuse you from using violence against other people.
How the suspect entered through the closed door was not immediately clear. On Wednesday afternoon, a phone call to Danville police was not immediately answered.
Politicians and elected officials across Virginia swiftly denounced the assault.
Republican Governor Glenn Youngkins said in a statement, “We send our condolences to Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler, who was brutally attacked at his workplace earlier today.” We pray for peace for the entire Danville town and for Lee to recover quickly.
Vogler did not appear to feel insecure at work or anywhere else, according to Brooks. Although everyone at the small-town media organization does a little bit of everything, Vogler works as a salesperson for the magazine.
According to Brooks, he writes stories about our neighborhood in addition to making sales.
According to Brooks, Vogler does that instinctively.
According to Brooks, serving on the municipal council is his passion. For a large portion of his adult life, he has been a valuable member of the community, and he enjoys being called when someone has a problem that he can help with. He was in his early 20s when he joined the city council. That is what he has made his life.
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According to Brooks, Vogler is a devoted parent to his two children outside of work.
According to Brooks, he is the one who coaches their sports teams.
Vogler is currently in his fourth term on the Danville City council, having been a member for over 12 years. He has two kids and is married. According to its website, Vogler is a managing partner at the Andrew Brooks Media Group, a marketing organization that publishes a number of regional magazines and runs a music publishing business and branded retail online.
In 2010, he returned to his hometown to run for politics after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University. In order to generate ideas for the city’s revitalization, he established an organization in 2010 called Moving Danville Forward.
About 140 miles separate Danville and Charlotte, North Carolina.
From Richmond, Virginia, Diaz reported. This report was written by Associated Press writers John Raby of Charleston, West Virginia; Makiya Seminera of Raleigh, North Carolina; Claudia Lauer of Philadelphia; and Safiyah Riddle of Montgomery, Alabama.
