The deaths of Allie and Phoenix Novickis have left detectives focused on a family visit, a shotgun and unanswered questions.
SARASOTA, Fla. — Nearly a month after a father was accused of killing his girlfriend, his young son and the family dog, Sarasota County investigators have released charges and a timeline but no motive.
Nicholas Novickis, 34, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty in the May 23 shooting at a home in Sarasota’s Artistry neighborhood. Deputies said Allie Novickis, 34, and Phoenix Novickis, 6, were found dead after a reported shooting at 4707 Mondrian Court. The dog was shot, taken to an emergency veterinary hospital and later pronounced dead. The sheriff’s office has said the investigation remains ongoing.
The question of motive has followed the case from the first public statements. Sheriff’s officials said they did not know why the shooting happened. A spokesperson said the family had gone to the home to swim and enjoy the day. The probable cause affidavit also says investigators saw no apparent argument or disturbance on lanai surveillance video before the shooting of Phoenix. That leaves a gap between what detectives say they can prove happened and what they have not explained publicly. The public record describes a family entering a home for a pool visit, then records gunfire, deaths and an arrest. It does not yet describe the reason behind the violence.
The setting has deepened the sense of shock around the case. Artistry is a planned residential community in eastern Sarasota County, known for newer single-family homes and resort-style amenities. The Mondrian Court home had a pool lanai, the screened outdoor space common across Florida homes. That lanai became the key location in the affidavit. Novickis’ mother told investigators she had gone back to sleep after her son said the family was there to swim. She later woke to breaking glass, went to the back slider and saw Phoenix near a doorway. Moments later, deputies said, Nicholas Novickis came out with a shotgun and fired at the child.
The mother’s actions became critical to the investigation. She called 911 while the incident was still active, the affidavit says. Deputies said Novickis shot the dog, then dropped the shotgun on the lanai. His mother was able to secure the weapon. As she moved through the house, she saw that Allie had also been shot. She fled without injury. Deputies arrived at about 11:38 a.m., entered the home and found Nicholas Novickis in the kitchen. The sheriff’s office said he was taken into custody without incident. Officials have not said whether the mother and son spoke during the incident or why she was not attacked.
The video evidence adds detail but not a motive. According to the affidavit, the lanai camera showed Nicholas Novickis with the shotgun and showed movements by Allie before the child was shot. Investigators said Nicholas walked inside from the lanai and Allie followed. She later came back outside and then returned inside. Nicholas then reappeared with the gun. The affidavit says the video showed no argument or disturbance before the shooting. The camera captured the shooting of Phoenix, investigators said. It did not capture the shooting of Allie. Authorities have not said whether they recovered other video from inside the home or nearby properties.
The suspect’s known public background has offered few answers. Sheriff’s officials said there did not seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Local court checks found little criminal history, apart from a 2025 school-zone speeding citation reported by local outlets. Records identified him as a Sarasota resident with ties to Illinois before the shooting. Officials have not described any prior domestic violence allegations, restraining orders or earlier police calls involving the family. They also have not released information about employment, mental health history, financial stress or family conflict. In the absence of a stated motive, those unknowns remain part of the case but not facts established by law enforcement.
The relationship between Nicholas and Allie Novickis has also been described with caution by investigators. Sheriff’s officials called Allie his girlfriend and said they had not confirmed that the pair were legally married, despite the shared last name and some records referring to her as his wife. Phoenix was identified as his 6-year-old son. The family dog, described in records as a husky, was the third fatality from the shooting. The animal cruelty charge is separate from the murder charges, but it is part of the same alleged course of conduct at the home. Prosecutors will have to prove each charge through evidence presented in court.
Novickis was taken to the Sarasota County Correctional Facility after his arrest. The sheriff’s office said he was held without bond on the murder charges. Later reports on court filings said a written not-guilty plea was entered through defense attorney Derek Byrd, who waived formal arraignment and requested that motion hearings and a trial date be scheduled. The case remains in an early procedural stage. The charges are allegations, and Novickis is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Future hearings may address evidence, witness statements, video, expert reports and any defense motions tied to statements Novickis is alleged to have made after his arrest.
One of those statements is described in the probable cause affidavit. Investigators said Novickis made a spontaneous comment while waiting in an interview room, expressing regret and saying he had killed his wife, son and dog. After detectives read him his rights, the affidavit says, he immediately requested an attorney. The statement may become important as the case moves forward, but it still does not answer the central question sheriff’s officials have left open. It describes an acknowledgment, as recorded by investigators, not a public explanation. Detectives have not said whether they found a note, a message, a prior threat or any other record that explains intent.
For the community, the killings were not followed by a search for a stranger or a warning about an ongoing threat. Deputies said the accused shooter was found inside the home and arrested. The fear that often follows a neighborhood shooting was narrowed by the family nature of the allegations, but the impact remained severe. A child, a woman and a pet were dead after a visit that authorities said began as a pool day. The home, the lanai and the security video became evidence in a murder case rather than parts of a holiday weekend gathering.
As of June 22, the case stands with formal charges, a not-guilty plea and an active investigation. The next major developments are expected through Sarasota County court filings and any further sheriff’s office updates. Until then, the public record identifies the victims, the location and the evidence described in the affidavit, while the motive remains unknown.
Author note: Last updated June 22, 2026.