GILBERT, Ariz. — The man who shot his girlfriend to death in Gilbert after she filed a restraining order against him has been sentenced to spend 38 years in an Arizona prison.
Preston J. Allen, was recently sentenced in Maricopa County Superior Court for second-degree murder and attempted murder in relation to a deadly shooting reported on Oct. 25, 2023.
On that day, Gilbert police officers found 31-year-old Michelle Golden dead inside a local townhouse. Allen had shot the victim 13 times while four children were home at the time, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
The defendant then went into one of the children's bedrooms and fired shots at the bed where one of the kids was taking cover. The child reported having to "squirm" around to avoid getting shot.
“On the night of the killing, these children were in their rooms knowing their mother was being killed just a few feet away,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement. “The trauma these four children will have to live with will forever impact their lives.”
Allen and Golden had been in a relationship and Golden filed a restraining order against Allen a couple of months before the shooting, records show.
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Domestic violence resources
If you or anyone you know is in a domestic violence situation help is available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233 (SAFE).
The Arizona Sexual and Domestic Violence Hotline is 602-279-2980 or text 520-720-3383.
For help at New Life Domestic Violence in Arizona, call 623-932-4404
Go here for more local resources and shelters.
