Gilbert Man Sentenced to Prison After Shooting Girlfriend 13 Times

The victim’s children were home when she was murdered last October in Gilbert.

GILBERT, Ariz. — A man has been sentenced to 38 years in an Arizona prison for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend. The tragic incident occurred in Gilbert after the victim had filed a restraining order against the perpetrator.

Preston J. Allen was recently sentenced in Maricopa County Superior Court for second-degree murder and attempted murder. The charges stem from a deadly shooting on October 25, 2023.

On that day, Gilbert police discovered 31-year-old Michelle Golden dead inside a local townhouse. Authorities reported that Allen shot Golden 13 times while four children were present in the home, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Allen then proceeded to enter one of the children’s bedrooms and fired shots at the bed where a child was hiding. The child had to “squirm” around to avoid being struck by the bullets.

“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 stated. “The trauma these four children will have to live with will forever impact their lives.”

Records show that Allen and Golden had been in a relationship and that Golden had filed a restraining order against Allen a few months prior to the shooting.

Domestic violence resources

If you or anyone you know is in a domestic violence situation, help is available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 800-799-7233 (SAFE).

The Arizona Sexual and Domestic Violence Hotline is 602-279-2980, or you can text 520-720-3383.

For assistance through New Life Domestic Violence in Arizona, call 623-932-4404.

RELATED: Never Alone: A list of resources for domestic violence victims in Arizona