NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV – Newly filed court documents outline a series of alleged threats and confrontations that prosecutors say culminated in the fatal shooting of a Las Vegas pastor, shedding new light on a neighborhood dispute that escalated over weeks.
Joe Junio, 38, is accused of killing Nicholas Davi, 46, a pastor at Grace Point Church, in December 2023 following ongoing tensions tied to homeowners association complaints. The filings describe what prosecutors call a “rapidly escalating pattern of hostility, threats, and harassment” directed at Davi and his family in the weeks leading up to the shooting.
Escalating threats before shooting
According to the documents, Junio allegedly threatened the Davi family weeks before the killing. During one incident, she was seen throwing rocks into their yard before she “ran her finger across her throat in a cutting motion and told them they were next,” as cited in reports based on the filings.
Police were called to the neighborhood that same day after reports that Junio threw large rocks at the home. She also allegedly attempted to flood the residence, forcing the family to temporarily leave and stay with a friend.
Two days later, prosecutors say Junio returned and threw a “large number of rocks and dog feces” over the fence into the family’s backyard.
In the days that followed, Junio allegedly purchased a firearm and asked a friend for help learning how to use it. “My neighbor is harassing me,” she told the friend, according to prosecutors. “Kicking my door.”
Legal action and final confrontation
Nicholas Davi’s wife, Sarah, filed a temporary protection order against Junio on Dec. 19, with a hearing scheduled for Jan. 8, 2024. Davi was killed 10 days later, before that hearing could take place.
On the day of the shooting, Junio allegedly sent a message to the same friend, writing, “If I’m dead or in jail. Take my 2 dogs and 2 dog treadmill.” Prosecutors say she shot Davi roughly 10 minutes later.
Court filings state the couple had been preparing to leave their home when Junio pulled into her driveway next door. A verbal confrontation followed, during which Davi asked, “What’s your problem with us?” according to the complaint.
Junio then allegedly exited her vehicle, approached Davi, and opened fire, first shooting him and then shooting his wife. The couple’s two children, ages 12 and 15, recorded the incident, according to the lawsuit.
Aftermath and charges
Davi was pronounced dead at the scene. Sarah Davi was seriously injured. Junio was later arrested and charged with open murder with a deadly weapon, attempted murder with a deadly weapon, two counts of child abuse involving a deadly weapon, and discharging a firearm where a person might be endangered.
Following her arrest, Junio allegedly told the same friend in a jail call that Davi had been harassing her for years. The friend responded, “You know, I told you to get rid of that gun,” according to the documents.
Junio remains held without bond at the Clark County Detention Center. She is scheduled to appear in court April 21 for a hearing on the admissibility of newly filed evidence, with trial set for May.
A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Sarah Davi in 2024 alleges the conflict stemmed from ongoing HOA disputes, including complaints about animals on Junio’s property. The suit also claims the homeowners association provided Junio with information about the complaints and “should have known that (Junio) would likely perform violent actions” as tensions escalated.
The lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $15,000 for grief, loss of support, and other impacts tied to the killing.
