A Virginia legislator was doused in gasoline and set on fire in his office on Wednesday, in what officials are describing as a targeted, personal attack. Danville City Councilman J. Lee Vogler, 38, was at his workplace at Showcase Magazine around 11:30 a.m. when a man walked in, confronted him, and doused him with a flammable liquid, police said.
The suspect stormed into the building with a five-gallon container filled with gasoline, which he poured over the councilman, Andrews Brooks, the magazine’s owner and Vogler’s employer, said. Vogler tried to escape but was chased to the front of the building, where he ignited the fuel and set Vogler on fire.
Mercilessly Killed in Front of Everyone
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Vogler was flown by air ambulance to Central Lynchburg General Hospital, where, according to Brooks, he was described as “awake and talking.” However, police have not released details on the extent of his injuries and the details of his death.
Authorities identified the suspect as 29-year-old Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes of Danville.
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Police confirmed that Vogler and Hayes knew each other quite well and the attack stemmed from a personal dispute, which was not related to Vogler’s position as a public official.
The suspect reportedly fled after the attack, but witnesses were able to give authorities a description of both him and his vehicle.
Officers located and arrested Hayes just a few blocks from the scene without any resistance.
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Police said that charges against Hayes are pending but did not provide additional information, saying that an investigation is ongoing and more revelations are to be made.
Investigation Underway After Suspect’s Arrest
Brooks described the incident both horrifying and intolerable. “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.”
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Authorities are expected to release more details, including the specific charges, in the coming days.
A Danville native, Vogler made history in May 2012 when he became the youngest person ever elected to the City Council at the age of 24.
He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010 and currently holds the position of Managing Partner at Andrew Brooks Media Group, the parent company of Showcase Magazine.
The suspect’s wife, Mary-Alice Buck-Hayes, filed for divorce just two weeks before the attack, according to divorce records obtained by the Daily Mail.
