The State Fire Marshal’s Office has confirmed arson was the cause of the fire at the home at 2101 S.E. 36th Terrace. Richard E. Tull Jr., 73, used gasoline to accelerate the fire that caused $1 million damage to the home owned by Norma Young, officials said Wednesday.
The Cape Coral 9-1-1 communications center received a call about a residential structure fire at Young’s waterfront home at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 18. The call also indicated that a gunshot had been heard. Cape Coral fire and police personnel responded to the scene.
Tull, who was Young’s live-in boyfriend, had intentionally ignited the fire, police said. He crated the family cat, walked outside the home with the pet and then shot himself with a handgun. Tull died at the scene.
The State Fire Marshal’s accelerant-detecting dog, Ember, was brought to the location after the fire was extinguished. The dog “alerted” on two areas within the home, and the samples taken by Capt. Ross Holt of the State Fire Marshal’s Office came back positive for gasoline, officials said.

Source: City of Cape Coral