A Danville city councilman fights for recovery after a horrific attack left him engulfed in flames. On Wednesday, Lee Vogler was doused with gasoline and set ablaze at his workplace. The brutality of this act shocks a community that prides itself on civility.
In a brazen assault, suspect Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, 29, allegedly stormed Vogler’s office, confronted him, and ignited the councilman after a gasoline dousing.
Breitbart reported that the Danville Police Department arrested Hayes blocks from the scene, charging him with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding. This isn’t just crime—it’s a chilling escalation of rage.
The attack unfolded around 11:30 a.m., when police responded to reports of a man set on fire. Hayes, carrying a five-gallon bucket of gasoline, forced his way into Showcase Magazine’s office, where Vogler worked. The audacity of such violence in broad daylight raises questions about unchecked anger in today’s polarized climate.
Vogler, known for his service on the Danville City Council, was airlifted to a Lynchburg burn center.
Despite the trauma, he remained awake and communicative during transport. His resilience speaks louder than the progressive mantra that words alone spark violence.
“An individual forced his way into our office, carrying a five-gallon bucket of gasoline, and poured it on Lee,” said Andrew Brooks, Showcase Magazine’s publisher. This vivid account paints a scene of premeditated horror. Yet, the left’s obsession with “toxic rhetoric” conveniently ignores such tangible acts of evil.
Brooks added, “Lee attempted to flee, ran to the front of the building, the individual followed him and set him on fire.” The relentless pursuit by Hayes underscores a calculated intent. No amount of woke hand-wringing about “hate speech” justifies this level of barbarity.
After setting Vogler ablaze, Hayes fled but didn’t get far. A witness’s description of the suspect and his vehicle led police to stop him blocks away. Quick action by law enforcement proves that justice can still move swiftly when facts, not feelings, guide the response.
Hayes now sits in Danville City Jail under no bond. His charges—attempted murder and aggravated malicious wounding—reflect the gravity of his alleged actions.
While some might cry for “understanding” the attacker’s motives, the focus belongs on Vogler’s suffering, not the perpetrator’s excuses.
The Danville Police Department detailed the sequence: “The suspect entered into the victim’s place of employment, confronted him and doused him with a flammable liquid.”
They added, “The victim and suspect exited the building, where the suspect then set the victim on fire.” This cold precision demands accountability, not endless debates about societal “root causes.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin responded on X: “Our prayers go out to Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler who was violently attacked at his workplace earlier today.”
His call for a swift recovery echoes a conservative value: compassion for victims over sympathy for criminals. The governor’s clarity cuts through the fog of moral relativism.
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears also weighed in: “Please join me in praying for Councilman Lee Vogler and for his family.” She added, “Violence is never the answer and must be condemned.” Her firm stance rejects the progressive urge to excuse such acts as mere outbursts of “frustration.”
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares called Vogler a “good friend” and decried the attack as “domestic terrorism.”
He stated, “Violence in the pursuit of the political is the definition of domestic terrorism.” Miyares’ bold label exposes the hypocrisy of those who only cry “terrorism” when it fits their narrative.
Brooks, the magazine publisher, didn’t mince words: “This type of senseless act of violence has to stop.” He added, “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 this way.” His righteous anger dismantles the culture of grievance that fuels such atrocities.
Vogler himself identified his attacker, a testament to his alertness despite unimaginable pain. His courage in the face of such a barbaric act stands as a rebuke to those who glorify victimhood. This isn’t a time for woke platitudes—it’s a call for justice.