A city councilman in Danville, Virginia, was intentionally set on fire at his workplace Wednesday, July 30, in what police describe as a targeted and personal attack. Lee Vogler, who serves on the Danville City Council and is the director of sales at Showcase Magazine, was working at the magazine’s office when an individual entered with a five-gallon bucket of gasoline, according to the publication’s publisher.
“An individual forced his way into our office carrying a five-gallon bucket of gasoline and poured the gasoline on Lee,” Andrew Brooks, the owner and publisher of Showcase Magazine, said in a Facebook video.
Suspect followed Vogler and ignited fire outside
Police said Vogler tried to escape, but the suspect followed him outside and set him on fire just outside the magazine’s building.
The crime has shaken the staff at the magazine, who called it a senseless act.
“This sort of senseless act of violence has to stop,” the publisher said. “You don’t have the right as a human being to get upset with someone, lash out and harm them in any way, much less this way.”
Authorities told ABC News that the suspect fled the scene but was apprehended a few blocks away and is now in custody.
According to police, Vogler and the suspect knew each other. Investigators believe the attack was not connected to Vogler’s role as a city official but rather stemmed from a personal matter.
Vogler identified attacker before being airlifted
Vogler, 38, has served on the Danville City Council for 12 years, according to a Facebook video he uploaded to his elected official page. He is married with two children.
“My name is Lee Vogler, and for the past 12 years I’ve had the privilege to serve the people of Danville on city council,” Vogler said in a previous public statement in October 2024.
Firefighters responded to the scene, and Vogler was airlifted to a burn center. While there is no official update on his condition, Brooks said Vogler was awake, talking and identified his attacker before being transported.
