Investigators say video from a pool lanai and a 911 call helped establish the first timeline in the killings.
SARASOTA, Fla. — A planned Saturday swim became a homicide investigation within about 90 minutes, ending with Nicholas Novickis in custody and his girlfriend, young son and dog dead, Sarasota County deputies said.
The case against Novickis, 34, is built around a short timeline at a Mondrian Court home in the Artistry neighborhood. Deputies said the family arrived after 10 a.m. May 23, the first 911 call came at about 11:38 a.m. and deputies soon found Allie Novickis, 34, and Phoenix Novickis, 6, dead at the property. Novickis has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty. No motive has been announced.
The first known point in the timeline came when Novickis and his family arrived at his mother’s home. According to a probable cause affidavit, he went into his mother’s room and told her they had come to swim. She went back to sleep. Sheriff’s officials later said the visit did not stand out as unusual before the shooting. A sheriff’s office spokesperson said the family had gone to the house “to swim in the pool and enjoy the day.” That ordinary start is part of what investigators have not yet explained. They have not described a fight, a warning call or a known disturbance at the home before the shooting began.
The next point came when Novickis’ mother woke to the sound of breaking glass, the affidavit says. She walked to a slider at the back lanai and saw Phoenix near the doorway. Investigators said Nicholas Novickis then came onto the lanai with a shotgun, worked the action and fired once at the child. The mother called 911. While she was on the phone, deputies said, Novickis shot the dog, dropped the shotgun and left it on the lanai. His mother was able to secure the weapon. She then moved through the residence and saw that Allie Novickis had also been shot. The affidavit says the mother was able to flee without injury.
The lanai surveillance video gave detectives another version of the same period. According to the affidavit, the video showed Nicholas Novickis walking outside with a shotgun. It also showed movements before Phoenix was shot. Investigators said Nicholas walked inside from the lanai and Allie followed him. Allie then came back outside before going inside again. Nicholas later returned into camera view carrying the shotgun. The affidavit says the video did not show an argument or disturbance before the shooting. It did show enough, deputies said, to support the murder charges tied to Phoenix’s death. Officials have said the shooting of Allie was not captured on that lanai video.
Deputies responded to the reported shooting at 4707 Mondrian Court and entered the residence. The sheriff’s office said they found Novickis in the kitchen and arrested him without incident. Allie and Phoenix were found deceased within the residence, the agency said. The family dog was still alive after being shot and was taken to an emergency veterinary hospital, where it was later pronounced dead. Investigators have not released the full crime-scene layout. They have not said how far apart the victims were found, whether the glass break came before or after Allie was shot, or whether any additional video from inside or outside the home is part of the case file.
After the arrest, detectives moved into the interview phase. The affidavit says Novickis made a spontaneous statement in an interview room while waiting to be questioned. Investigators said he expressed regret and said that he had killed his wife, son and dog. Authorities have referred to Allie as his girlfriend and have said they have not confirmed a legal marriage, though some court and media references have used the word wife. After detectives read Novickis his Miranda rights, the affidavit says, he immediately asked for an attorney. Officials have not released any statement in which he explains why the shootings happened.
The court record has narrowed the charges but not the motive. The sheriff’s office announced two second-degree murder counts and one animal cruelty count in a May 26 release. The release said the motive was unknown and the investigation was ongoing. A later written not-guilty plea was entered through defense counsel, according to reports on court filings. The defense waived formal arraignment and asked that future motion hearings and a trial date be set. The charges are accusations. Prosecutors will have to prove them in court, and any recorded statements, video evidence and physical evidence will be tested through the legal process.
The neighborhood itself became part of the case because of where the shooting happened. Artistry is a planned Sarasota community with controlled access, single-family homes and amenities built around leisure, including a pool setting. The Mondrian Court address sits in the eastern part of the county, away from downtown Sarasota. Local property and neighborhood descriptions show a residential area marketed around quiet streets and resort-style features. Sheriff’s officials did not suggest a broader public threat after Novickis was taken into custody. The scene instead centered on one family visit, one residence and the accounts of the people and records connected to that home.
Officials also have emphasized what they do not know. They have not publicly identified a motive. They have not released any history of domestic violence calls involving the family. They have not said whether toxicology testing, mental health records, phone data or financial records will play a role. They have not explained why the suspect’s mother was not shot, though her actions are key to the surviving account. She called 911, secured the shotgun after it was dropped and left the residence. Her statements, paired with the video, place investigators inside the minutes before and after the gunfire.
The investigation remains in two tracks. Detectives continue to build the record of what happened inside the Artistry home, while prosecutors and defense attorneys move the case through Sarasota County court. Future filings may reveal whether the state seeks additional evidence, whether the defense challenges statements or video, and when a trial could be set. As of June 22, the public record shows Novickis facing two murder charges and an animal cruelty charge tied to the deaths of Allie Novickis, Phoenix Novickis and the family dog.
Author note: Last updated June 22, 2026.