A 23-year-old Fort Myers man allegedly shot his mother, doused her body in gasoline, and set her on fire, then called 911 to report his own chest pain, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office.

George Beemer now faces charges of second-degree murder, first-degree arson, and abuse of a dead body after what Sheriff Carmine Marceno called "one of the most horrific acts of violence imaginable." Beemer is being held at the Lee County Jail.

The chain of events began Saturday when Beemer dialed 911 from a home in Fort Myers, telling dispatchers he was having chest pain. While paramedics rushed him to a hospital, officials received a second emergency call, this time reporting a fire at the same residence, the New York Post reported.

Firefighters who entered the home found a woman's body in the kitchen. She was severely burned. Charging documents identified her as Beemer's mother, though police have not publicly released her name.

Beemer allegedly told detectives his mother 'wanted to be cremated'

After his hospital visit, Beemer confessed to investigators, police said. He told detectives he shot his mother once, then poured gasoline around her body and lit it on fire. His stated reason for the fire, Fox News reported, was that his mother "wanted to be cremated."

Beemer also told police he killed his mother because she had mistreated him for years and alleged she had molested him. Those claims drew immediate pushback from people who knew the family.

A female friend of the family, who declined to give her name, rejected Beemer's molestation allegation outright. She spoke to WINK News, the local outlet that obtained the police report:

"There's absolutely no way. No, no, absolutely never, never, no. I can't buy it. I will never buy it. He's using it as a defense mechanism to think that there's any remote chance that this was justified."

The same woman posed a blunt question: "What kind of drugs was he on that day?"

The case is one of several violent crimes that have shaken communities in recent weeks. In Kentucky, a man killed his teen girlfriend and her friend in a murder-suicide, and in Dallas, two illegal aliens face capital murder charges in a shooting that killed an unborn baby.

Former classmate says she 'wasn't surprised' Beemer landed in jail

Madison Edwards, a former classmate of Beemer's, told reporters she was stunned by the nature of the charges, but not by the fact that he ended up behind bars.

"I wasn't surprised that he ended up in jail. I was just very surprised as to the reason why."

Edwards also said simply: "We were just completely shocked."

Sheriff Marceno praised the speed of the investigation and the coordination among deputies, fire crews, EMS, and Major Crimes detectives:

"The cruelty in this case is beyond comprehension, and I am incredibly proud of the swift, coordinated response by our deputies, fire and EMS personnel and Major crimes detectives whose relentless work uncovered the truth and justice began without delay."

Marceno added that his "prayers remain with the victim and loved ones as they begin to process this unimaginable tragedy." He said investigators would continue working to provide answers to the family.

Violent crime continues to test communities across the country. In Florida alone, deputies recently investigated a suspected murder-suicide at a campground that left two people dead.

Key questions remain unanswered in the Lee County case

Several details are still unclear. Police have not said whether Beemer has entered a plea or retained an attorney. No defense lawyer has commented publicly. The exact date of the killing, described only as "Saturday", has not been pinned down in public statements, and the source of the second 911 call reporting the fire has not been disclosed.

Beemer's physical condition after his hospital visit is also unknown. The New York Post said it reached out to the Lee County Sheriff's Office for additional information but did not report receiving a response.

Mass violence has also struck public gatherings this summer, including a mass shooting at a Seattle food festival that killed three and wounded four.

A mother is dead. Her son confessed to killing her, burned her body, and then called 911 about himself. If the justice system does its job, the charges he faces should ensure he answers for every last detail of what happened in that Fort Myers kitchen.