Deputies said the Sarasota shooting began during a family visit to a gated neighborhood and ended with an arrest inside the home.

SARASOTA, Fla. — A 34-year-old Sarasota man has been charged with killing his girlfriend, his 6-year-old son and the family dog during a weekend visit to his mother’s home, sheriff’s officials said.

Nicholas Novickis faces two counts of second-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty after the May 23 shooting at a residence in the Artistry neighborhood of Sarasota. Deputies said Allie Novickis, 34, and Phoenix Novickis, 6, were found dead inside the home after a 911 call from the suspect’s mother. The family dog was taken to an emergency veterinary hospital and later died. Investigators have not announced a motive.

The shooting was reported about 11:38 a.m. at 4707 Mondrian Court, a home in a gated community east of Interstate 75. Deputies said Nicholas Novickis had brought Allie, Phoenix and the dog to the home for what authorities described as a family pool day. A sheriff’s office spokesperson said the group appeared to have come to the house to swim and spend time there. “Currently, we do not have a motive at this point,” the spokesperson said at a news briefing. Deputies said the visit began sometime after 10 a.m., when Novickis entered his mother’s bedroom and told her the family was there to swim. His mother went back to sleep before waking later to breaking glass.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Novickis’ mother walked toward the back lanai after she woke up and saw Phoenix near a doorway. Investigators said Nicholas Novickis then came onto the lanai with a shotgun, chambered the weapon and fired once at the child. His mother called 911 while the incident was still unfolding, the affidavit says. While she was on the phone, deputies said, Novickis shot the dog and then dropped the shotgun on the lanai. The mother picked up the weapon and secured it before moving through the residence, where she saw Allie Novickis had also been shot. She left the home without being hurt. Deputies later found Nicholas Novickis in the kitchen and took him into custody without incident.

The affidavit says surveillance video from the pool lanai became a central part of the case. Investigators said the video showed Nicholas Novickis walking onto the lanai while holding a shotgun. Before the child was shot, the video showed Novickis going inside from the lanai and Allie following him. Allie then returned to the lanai before going back inside, investigators said. Novickis later came back into view carrying the shotgun. The affidavit says there was no clear sign of an argument or disturbance before the shooting. Officials said the shooting of Allie was not captured on the lanai video, but deputies found her body when they entered the residence. Authorities have not said where inside the home she was shot or whether any other cameras recorded that part of the incident.

The victims shared the same last name as the suspect, though officials said they had not confirmed whether Nicholas and Allie Novickis were legally married. Sheriff’s officials first described Allie as Novickis’ girlfriend. Other records and accounts have used the term wife, but law enforcement has not publicly resolved the question. Phoenix was identified by deputies as Novickis’ son. The dog was described in court records as a husky. The deaths took place during Memorial Day weekend in Artistry, a planned residential community with single-family homes, a clubhouse, a resort-style pool and trails. Property records cited by local outlets identified the Mondrian Court home as belonging to members of Novickis’ family. Authorities have not said whether anyone else was inside the home during the shooting.

Deputies said Novickis had little prior contact with the criminal court system in Sarasota County. Local court records reviewed after the arrest showed only a school-zone speeding citation from 2025, according to published accounts. Sheriff’s officials said at the briefing that there did not seem to be anything out of the ordinary before the shooting. That absence of a known public warning sign has become one of the central unknowns in the case. Investigators have not described a dispute, threat, custody issue or prior call for service that would explain why the visit turned violent. They also have not said how the shotgun was brought to the property, where it had been stored or whether it was legally owned.

Novickis was booked into the Sarasota County Correctional Facility after his arrest. The sheriff’s office said he was being held without bond on the murder charges. A separate bond amount was listed in court and jail records for the animal cruelty charge. Court filings reported after the arrest said a written not-guilty plea was entered through defense attorney Derek Byrd, who waived formal arraignment and asked the court to set motion hearings and a trial date. The charges remain allegations, and Novickis is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Prosecutors had not publicly released any detailed theory of motive as of the latest updates, and the sheriff’s office has continued to describe the investigation as active.

In the minutes after deputies arrived, the home shifted from a family gathering place to a crime scene. Deputies entered, located the suspect in the kitchen and cleared the house. The mother’s account, the lanai video and the condition of the scene helped detectives build the probable cause affidavit. Investigators said that while Novickis was waiting to be interviewed, he made a statement expressing regret and acknowledging that he had killed Allie, Phoenix and the dog. After detectives read him his Miranda rights, the affidavit says, he asked for an attorney. Officials did not release a full transcript of the interview-room statement, and they have not said whether Novickis gave investigators any explanation before asking for counsel.

The case now turns on forensic work, video review, witness interviews and court filings. Detectives are expected to keep examining the weapon, the timeline inside the home and any available records that may point to a motive. The next public milestones are likely to come through Sarasota County court orders, motions or hearing notices. As of June 22, Novickis remained charged in the deaths of Allie and Phoenix Novickis and in the fatal shooting of the family dog.

Author note: Last updated June 22, 2026.