Virginia lawmaker is doused with gas and set on fire
A Virginia lawmaker was doused in gasoline and set on fire in a 'personal' attack at his office allegedly carried out by a man whose wife recently filed for divorce from him. Danville City Councilman J. Lee Vogler, 38, was at the Showcase Magazine headquarters when the suspect stormed in at around 11.30am.
He dumped the contents of a 'five gallon container' on top of Vogler before setting him alight, according to the publication's owner Andrew Brooks. Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes 29, of Danville, was identified as the suspect by police.
He 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 appeared to have married in 2023. Pictured: Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes (right)
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.
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. 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.
