Florida Grandmother Watches Son Kill Grandson, Girlfriend, and Dog in Deadly Rampage

A Florida man has been arrested after allegedly shooting and killing his girlfriend, his toddler son, and their dog. Nicholas Novickis, 34, was taken into custody on May 23 after his mother called 911 to report the shootings.

Nicholas was visiting his mother, Donna Novickis’ residence in Sarasota with his girlfriend, Allie Novickis, 34, and his son, Phoenix, 6. The family planned to enjoy a vacation and go swimming, but the trip ended in tragedy, with Allie and Phoenix losing their lives.

Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SSCO) deputies responded to a call about a shooting at 4707 Mondrian Ct around 11:30 AM on May 23. Donna told police she was asleep in her upstairs bedroom when she heard the sound of shattering glass.

She went to the back lanai to check what was wrong and saw Nicholas shooting Phoenix point-blank in the head with a shotgun. While Donna dialed 911, Nicholas allegedly went on to shoot their dog, a husky. As Donna ran outside to seek help, she found Allie’s lifeless body with gunshot wounds.

The officers soon arrived at the scene and pronounced Phoenix and Allie dead. Meanwhile, the dog was taken to an emergency veterinarian, where he was also pronounced dead. Detectives later obtained surveillance footage, which showed Nicholas shooting Phoenix.

“Prior to Phoenix being shot, the video shows Nicholas walk inside from the lanai and Allie follows him. Allie then reappeared back on the lanai before going back inside, whereby Nicholas reappeared on the camera carrying the shotgun,” the arrest affidavit stated.

Nicholas has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty. He has been booked at the Sarasota County Correctional Facility without bond. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Nicholas’ attorney, Derek Byrd, filed a written not guilty plea in Sarasota County Circuit Court on May 28.

The motive behind the alleged crime remains unclear. SCSO spokesperson Doug Johnson said there were no signs of an argument or altercation within the family before the shootings. “There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary. There didn’t seem to be any sort of, argument or altercation at all,” Johnson announced at a press conference.

“From what we understand, they actually went to the house to swim in the pool and enjoy the day. Mother was home, but she was actually upstairs asleep when the first shots rang out,” he added. Johnson also noted that the murder case has rocked the otherwise peaceful neighborhood.

“I think it just goes to show you that, I mean, even in a nice neighborhood, crime has a way that it can find you. I mean, this is, as far as we know, his mother’s house, and you know, it was a gated community so everybody feels safe in the gated community, but you just never know the motive of people, and you never know what they’re going to do,” he concluded.