Joe Junio, 38, of Nevada, stands accused of murdering Pastor Nicholas Davi, 46, in a deadly, preplanned shooting outside her neighbor’s North Las Vegas home in December 2023, driven by a long‑running feud involving their homeowners association (HOA) and escalating threats.
How the hostility built
Court documents describe a “rapidly escalating pattern of hostility” from Junio toward the Davi family before the killing. In the weeks leading up to the shooting, neighbors reported Junio:
- Throwing rocks into their yard and then running a finger across her throat in a “cutting motion,” telling them “you’re next.”
- Allegedly flooding the Davi property and later hurling rocks and dog feces over the fence into their backyard.
Police were called multiple times, and the Davis said they had filed formal HOA complaints against Junio over chicken and dog violations. Nicholas’s wife, Sarah Davi, obtained a temporary protection order on December 19, with a hearing scheduled for January 8, 2024—just 10 days before the pastor was killed.
The armed confrontation and shooting
Prosecutors say Junio bought a gun several days before the shooting and asked a friend how to use it, claiming she was being harassed and that her neighbor was “kicking her door.” On the day of the incident, she texted the same friend:
“If I’m dead or in jail, take my 2 dogs and 2 dog treadmill.”
About 10 minutes later, Junio allegedly shot Nicholas Davi in front of his family. According to the criminal complaint, she and the pastor argued in their driveway, where he asked, “What’s your problem with us?” before she opened her car door, approached him, and opened fire. She then shot Sarah Davi, who was severely injured, and the couple’s 12‑ and 15‑year‑old children recorded the attack on their phones.
Charges and legal fallout
Junio was arrested and charged with:
- One count of open murder with a deadly weapon
- One count of attempted murder with a deadly weapon (for Sarah’s injuries)
- Two counts of child abuse involving a deadly weapon
- Discharging of a firearm where a person might be endangered
She is being held without bond at the Clark County Detention Center. Sarah Davi filed a wrongful‑death lawsuit in 2024, accusing Junio of the shooting and also alleging that the HOA fed Junio information about the Davis’ complaints and should have known she was likely to act violently.
Junio is scheduled for a pre‑trial hearing on April 21 about newly filed evidence and is set to go to trial in May. The case has become a grim illustration of how a neighborhood dispute, combined with access to a gun and a pattern of escalating threats, can end in a pastor’s murder witnessed by his own children.
