Virginia city councilman Lee Vogler set on fire by maniac who dumped 19-litre bucket of fuel on him
Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler was allegedly set on fire after Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, 29, barged into Showcase Magazine, a local monthly publication, and dumped a five-gallon bucket of gasoline on the pol around 11:30 a.m., according to the Danville Police Department and the outlet's publisher, Andrew Brooks.
Vogler, 38, managed to escape the office and ran to the front of the building, but the monster followed him and torched him.
'This type of senseless act of violence has to stop,' Brooks said in an emotional video published on Facebook Wednesday morning, where he described the horrifying moment Hayes 'forced his way' into their offices and drenched the councilman with the fire accelerant.
'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.'
First responders rendered aid to the pol, who identified his suspected attacker at the harrowing scene, before he was airlifted to a hospital in North Carolina.
The extent of Vogler's injuries is unknown, but Brooks noted he was awake and talking following the terrifying incident and was being taken to a burn center in Lynchburg.
Hayes, a Danville resident, initially fled the horrific scene and was captured in his vehicle several blocks from where he allegedly lit the local politician ablaze, according to police.
Authorities said Vogler and Hayes are known to each other, but added the attack stems from a personal matter that is not related to the councilman's elected position or political affiliation.
The deranged arsonist has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding, police said.
He is being held without bond at the Danville City Jail.
The investigation is ongoing.
'Our prayers go out to Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler who was violently attacked at his workplace earlier today,' Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin posted on X.
'We pray for a swift recovery Lee and for peace to be on the entire Danville community.'
Vogler was elected to the Danville City Council in May 2012, becoming the youngest person ever elected to that position at the age of 24, according to his bio.
The four-term councilman graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in political science and is the managing partner for Andrew Brooks Media Group.
He also serves on the Virginia Small Business Commission, a position Youngkin appointed him to in July 2022, according to Vogler's Linkedin.
Wednesday's attack is the latest in a disturbing wave of violence targeting elected officials, including President Trump, who narrowly escaped death when a would-be assassin fired at him during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pa. The then-candidate was struck in the ear before the 20-year-old gunman was taken out by a Secret Service sniper.
Last month, former Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark and beloved family dog, Gilbert, were gunned down and killed in their Minneapolis home in a twisted, politically motivated attack. Alleged assassin, Vance Boelter, is also accused of shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who both survived.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home was firebombed overnight during Passover in April by a deranged attacker allegedly motivated by antisemitism while the Jewish lawmaker and his family slept.
Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was also the victim of a domestic terror scheme aimed at abducting the lawmaker and overthrowing the state government in 2020.
Originally published as Virginia city councilman Lee Vogler set on fire by maniac who dumped 19-litre bucket of fuel on him
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