Virginia city councilman set on fire at office over ‘personal matter,’ investigators say

A Virginia city councilman was set on fire inside his office today, over what police called a “personal matter.”

Danville City Councilman Lee Vogler, 38, has been airlifted to a hospital for treatment, according to the Danville Police Department. Police first responded to a Danville office building around 11:30 a.m., after a caller reported that a man had been set on fire.

Witnesses told police the attacker entered the building, confronted Vogler and poured a “flammable liquid” on the Republican councilman. They both exited the building, at which point the suspected attacker set Vogler on fire, police said.

The suspected attacker fled the scene in a car, witnesses told police. Investigators found the car that witnesses described a few blocks away. Police identified the car’s driver, 29-year-old Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, as a suspect in the attack. He is now in police custody.

“Based on the investigation at the time of this release, the victim and the suspect are known to each other and the attack stems from a personal matter not related to the victim’s position on Danville City Council or any other political affiliation,” the Danville Police Department said in a statement.

Vogler was first elected to the Danville City Council in May 2012 at 24 years old, making him the youngest-ever person to hold the office, according to his biography on the city’s website.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.