A Virginia lawmaker was doused in gasoline and set alight at his office in a ‘personal attack’ by an unhinged local man, police say.
Danville City Councilman J. Lee Vogler, 38, was at the Showcase Magazine HQ when Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, 29, stormed in at around 11.30am, it is alleged.
Hayes dumped the contents of a ‘five gallon container’ on top of Vogler before setting him alight, according to the publication’s owner Andrew Brooks.
Hayes and Vogler know each other and the attack stemmed from a ‘personal matter’, not from Vogler’s role as a public official, police said.
Hayes’ wife Mary Alice Buck-Hayes filed for divorce from him just two weeks ago. The couple only appeared to have married in 2023.
No details have been shared on the alleged ‘personal’ matter between Vogler and Hayes or how the two men know one another.
Investigators have yet to comment on any mental health issues that Hayes may have been suffering and whether the divorce may have caused him to spiral out of control.
Vogler is happily married to wife Blair, with whom he shares two young children. He recently shared a glowing 40th birthday tribute to her on Facebook, saying ‘The kids and I are so blessed to have you in our lives.’
Vogler attempted to flee but was chased to the front of the building, where the suspect ignited the liquid and set him ablaze, Brooks added.
The victim was airlifted to Central Lynchburg General Hospital and was described as ‘awake and talking’ by Brooks, although police did not provide details on the nature of his injuries.
Danville City Councilman J. Lee Vogler, 38, was airlifted to a regional burn center after being set on fire inside his office Wednesday morning
The suspect was later identified as 29-year-old Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes (right) of Danville. He is pictured with his wife, Mary Alice, who filed for divorce just two weeks prior to the alleged attack
The suspect fled the scene, but witnesses provided a description of both the man and his vehicle.
Officers stopped the suspect several blocks away and took him into custody without incident.
Police added that charges against Hayes are forthcoming but declined to release further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
A tearful Brooks shared a video online where he detailed the chilling attack.
‘This type of senseless act of violence has to stop,’ he said.
‘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.’
Vogler, a Danville native, made history in May 2012 when he was elected to the City Council at just 24 years old – the youngest person ever to hold the position.
Police say Vogler was doused with gasoline and set alight by a man who stormed into his workplace, Showcase Magazine
He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010 and now serves as Managing Partner at Andrew Brooks Media Group which owns Showcase Magazine.
Vogler married his wife in 2011 and the couple share two children together.
