The suspect’s mother woke to breaking glass, saw part of the shooting and secured the shotgun before escaping, deputies say.
SARASOTA, Fla. — The first surviving account of a deadly Sarasota family shooting came from the suspect’s mother, who called 911 after waking to breaking glass inside her Artistry neighborhood home, deputies said.
Her statement now sits at the center of the case against Nicholas Novickis, 34, who is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty. Investigators said his girlfriend, Allie Novickis, 34, and his son, Phoenix Novickis, 6, were killed May 23 at the home. The family dog also was shot and later died. Sheriff’s officials said the mother was not hurt, and they have not released a motive for the killings.
The mother told detectives that the day began as a visit, not an emergency. Nicholas Novickis came to her room after arriving with Allie, Phoenix and the dog, according to the probable cause affidavit. He told her they were there to swim. She went back to sleep. That detail gave detectives a starting point and gave the case one of its sharpest contrasts. A family that had arrived for pool time was soon at the center of a 911 call. A sheriff’s office spokesperson said at a news briefing that officials understood the family had gone to the house to swim and enjoy the day. The spokesperson also said investigators did not yet have a motive.
The mother said she woke later to the sound of glass breaking. When she went to the slider leading to the back lanai, she saw Phoenix standing near a doorway, the affidavit says. Investigators said Nicholas Novickis then walked out with a shotgun, chambered it and shot Phoenix once. The mother called 911. While she was still on the phone, deputies said, Nicholas shot the dog and dropped the weapon on the lanai. The mother picked up the shotgun and secured it. She then moved through the home and saw Allie had been shot. Deputies said she was able to leave the residence without injury.
That sequence left investigators with a rare living witness to an incident in which the other direct victims were dead. It also meant the 911 call captured at least part of the emergency as it unfolded. Officials have not released the call audio or a transcript. They have not said what the dispatcher heard, how long the call lasted or whether the mother stayed on the line after leaving the home. What they have said is that deputies responded to 4707 Mondrian Court at about 11:38 a.m., entered the house and found Nicholas Novickis in the kitchen. He was taken into custody without incident. Allie and Phoenix were found dead inside the residence.
The mother also provided surveillance video from the pool lanai, according to the affidavit. Investigators said the recording showed Nicholas Novickis moving on and off the lanai before the child was shot. It showed Allie following him inside at one point, then returning outside, then going back inside. Nicholas later appeared on camera carrying the shotgun, the affidavit says. Detectives said the video showed no argument or visible disturbance before the shooting. The shooting of Phoenix was captured in the video evidence described by investigators. The shooting of Allie was not captured by that lanai camera, leaving her final moments less publicly detailed.
The mother’s account also raised one of the case’s unanswered questions. Deputies said Nicholas Novickis shot his girlfriend, his son and the dog, but did not shoot his mother. Officials have not said whether he spoke to her during the incident, whether he tried to stop her from calling 911 or whether he reacted when she secured the shotgun. They also have not said whether the mother’s action in taking control of the weapon prevented further violence. The affidavit says she was able to flee. Her survival gave detectives a witness statement, access to the home video and a direct report to emergency dispatchers.
After deputies took Novickis into custody, the case shifted from the home to the sheriff’s office and then to court. The affidavit says Novickis made a spontaneous statement while waiting in an interview room, expressing regret and saying he had killed his wife, son and dog. Authorities have described Allie as his girlfriend and said they had not confirmed the two were legally married. After being advised of his rights, Novickis asked for an attorney, the affidavit says. The sheriff’s office later announced that he was being held without bond on the murder charges at the Sarasota County Correctional Facility.
For investigators, the mother’s statement is only one piece of the case. Detectives also must work through forensic evidence, the shotgun, shell casings, video files, the medical examiner’s findings, phone records and any background material that could explain the killings. The sheriff’s office has said the motive remains unknown. Officials also have not publicly described any prior criminal history beyond a traffic citation that local outlets found in court records. A sheriff’s office spokesperson said there did not seem to be anything out of the ordinary. That leaves the mother’s calm-to-chaos account as the clearest public explanation of how the day changed so quickly.
The Artistry neighborhood brought another layer of attention because the shooting happened in a community marketed around quiet streets and amenities. The home sits in eastern Sarasota County, in a residential area of newer houses. The pool lanai, a familiar Florida feature designed for shade and outdoor family time, became the scene described in the charging documents. Deputies did not report a search for any outside suspect. They said Nicholas Novickis was found inside the home and arrested without incident. The violence, according to the public record, was contained within the family visit and the Mondrian Court residence.
Novickis has pleaded not guilty through counsel, according to later reports on court filings. The defense waived formal arraignment and asked the court to set future dates for motions and trial proceedings. Prosecutors have not released a detailed theory in public statements. The case may next turn on whether the defense challenges the admissibility of the interview-room statement, the video evidence or other records collected by detectives. The mother’s role is likely to remain central because she was the person who called 911, saw part of the incident, secured the gun and guided investigators to surveillance footage.
The public record leaves the case with three confirmed deaths, one surviving witness in the home and no known motive. Nicholas Novickis remains accused in the deaths of Allie Novickis, Phoenix Novickis and the family dog, while detectives and attorneys continue the work that will shape the next court hearings.
Author note: Last updated June 22, 2026.