In just four days, over $100,000 was raised for Lee Vogler, the Danville City Council member who was attacked and set on fire last week, exceeding the goal amount on his GoFundMe page.
That goal has been increased to $250,000, since Vogler will need to stay in the hospital for at least half a year, according to an update on the page.
“As we gain a clearer understanding of Lee’s recovery, we know he will be in the hospital for at least six months,” wrote fundraiser organizer Andrew Brooks.
Brooks is the owner of Showcase Magazine, where Vogler, 38, is the marketing director.
Vogler was at work July 30 when a man entered the magazine’s office on Main Street and doused the city councilman in gasoline. Vogler ran out of the building, and the man followed him and lit him on fire.
Shotsie Buck-Hayes, 29, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding. He told police that he intended to kill Vogler, according to court documents.
According to police reports, the two men knew each other, and the attack stemmed from a personal matter and not from Vogler’s work with the city.
Buck-Hayes is being held at a psychiatric facility in Petersburg under a temporary detention order, which allows him to be detained at the facility for evaluation and treatment, according to Danville Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Newman.
Danville Sheriff Mike Mondul said Buck-Hayes was transferred the morning of Aug. 1, less than two days after he was taken into custody, because he had been “exhibiting behaviors that were problematic” on the day of the attack.
Mondul said he couldn’t elaborate on those specific behaviors, but he said that typically, a criminal temporary detention order is issued for someone exhibiting mental instability, like suicidal or homicidal behavior.
“We contacted our mental health partners and the Danville-Pittsylvania Community Services board and we took him to the hospital to be evaluated,” Mondul said.
The mental health professionals determined that he should be taken to Central State Hospital in Petersburg, he said.
“That’s the state’s most secure mental health facility,” Mondul said.
He said he’s not sure when Buck-Hayes will return to Danville. That’s something the facility will determine, he said.
“We wait for them to call us and tell us when he’s ready to come back,” Mondul said. “Then we’ll bring him back and keep him under security so he can stand trial for the things he’s accused of.”
Immediately after the attack, Vogler was airlifted to the burn unit at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he has been since. More than half of his body sustained second- and third-degree burns, according to the GoFundMe page.
A hospital spokesperson said Vogler remained in critical condition Wednesday morning.
On Friday, two days after the attack, Brooks launched the fundraiser with a goal amount of $100,000 to support Vogler; his wife, Blair; and their two children with medical costs, travel and lodging while Vogler receives treatment.
By Tuesday, that goal had been reached.
“Both Lee and Blair will be unable to work for an extended period,” Brooks wrote. “Because of this, we will be increasing our fundraising goal to help cover not just medical expenses, but also loss of household income, travel for treatment, and the long-term rehabilitation and recovery Lee will need.”
By Wednesday evening, about $121,700 of the new $250,000 goal had been raised. The highest donation so far, in the amount of $20,000, came from an anonymous donor early Wednesday morning.
“Lee’s injuries will permanently impact his and his family’s lives, and the sheer amount of financial resources required for long-term care is difficult to even estimate,” Brooks wrote. “Thanks to your generosity, a considerable part of this burden is being lifted, giving Lee and his family the ability to focus on healing rather than overwhelming financial stress.”
The update on the fundraiser page also included a short statement from Blair Vogler. This is her first statement since Friday, when she shared that Vogler was expected to undergo “the first of what will be many surgeries on the road to recovery.”
“Every message, every donation, every prayer has lifted us up,” she said in the most recent statement. “Seeing how people from all over are standing with Lee has given us so much strength. Thank you for believing in him and in our family. Your kindness is carrying us through this unimaginable time.”
Lee Vogler’s mother and father, Rhonda and Jack Vogler, have both posted addresses on Facebook where cards and gifts can be sent.
“I have received numerous requests wanting to know where to send cards,” Jack Vogler wrote. “Thank you all for the love and support for Lee. It’s been simply incredible. Keep those powerful prayers coming. The comeback kid loves the people of the comeback city.”
On Tuesday evening, the city held its first council meeting since Vogler was attacked. Mayor Alonzo Jones and other council members expressed their sorrow at his absence, prayed for his recovery and thanked the community for its support.
“The outpouring of love, thoughts and prayers for Lee and his family has been truly heartwarming,” Jones said. “We feel it, we feel the hurt, but we’re so grateful to each and every last one of you all who have supported the council and the family. … He has a long road to recovery, but he’s very strong and he’s not walking in it alone.”
