Man charged with double murder in Sarasota neighborhood shooting
A man has been charged with murder after two people were found dead Saturday in Sarasota’s Artistry neighborhood, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said Sunday, May 24, detectives charged Nicholas Novickis, 34, with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty in connection with the shooting at a home in the 4700 block of Mondrian Court.
Deputies responded around 11:45 a.m. Saturday, May 23, to reports of a shooting in the gated Artistry neighborhood east of Interstate 75 near Palmer Boulevard and Lorraine Road.
When officers arrived, they found two people dead on the back porch of the residence, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities said the suspected shooter was arrested at the scene and then questioned at the sheriff’s office headquarters.
The sheriff’s office previously said there was no ongoing threat to the public and all parties involved had been accounted for.
Crime scene units remained at the home Sunday as investigators continued to examine the scene for evidence.
“At this time, the motive for the shooting is unknown,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media update Sunday morning. “This investigation is ongoing.”
The sheriff’s office has not yet publicly identified the victims.
Artistry Sarasota is a single-family home community east of Interstate 75 near Palmer Boulevard and Lorraine Road featuring a lakefront clubhouse, resort-style pool, playground and nature trail.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Section at 941-861-4900 or Crime Stoppers at 941-366-TIPS (8477).
Wade Tatangelo is executive editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and Florida restaurants and entertainment editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and X. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on the Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Man charged with double murder in Sarasota neighborhood shooting
