Widow of slain NLV pastor sues HOA over deadly neighbor dispute

The widow of a pastor who was fatally shot by his neighbor outside their Aliante home has sued the community homeowners association, accusing it of mishandling prior complaints and failing to defuse the escalating dispute.

Sarah Davi and her husband, the Rev. Nick Davi, were shot by their neighbor, Joe Junio, on Dec. 29, 2023, after a conversation during which Junio suddenly exited her vehicle and pointed a gun at them, the complaint filed Monday alleged.

The lawsuit said that the couple’s young children were sitting in the family vehicle parked in the driveway when they witnessed and recorded the shooting on video.

Both victims were taken to a hospital, where Nick Davi died. He was a pastor at Grace Point Church.

Sarah Davi, represented by attorney James Urrita, survived with serious physical injuries.

The couple had previously reported Junio to Court at Aliante Homeowners Association, which is named as a defendant in the case, the lawsuit said.

A police report indicated that the Davi family had made complaints related to Junio’s chickens and dogs, and that in the weeks before the shooting, Junio also allegedly hurled rocks and dog feces into the couple’s yard.

The couple called police twice in December about Junio, the report said. In one instance, Junio allegedly “ran her finger across her throat in a cutting motion and told them they were next,” police said.

FirstService Residential, which manages the Court at Aliante, is also being sued after it allegedly communicated the complaints to Junio in “a manner that unreasonably escalated hostility.”

The organizations “failed to implement appropriate safety measures, despite knowing or having reason to know that Joe posed a foreseeable risk of violence toward decedent and plaintiff,” the lawsuit said.

The complaint also said that the defendants were obligated to protect the Davi family and caused or contributed to Nick Davi’s death and Sarah Davi’s injuries.

Court at Aliante and FirstService did not respond to phone messages seeking comment.

In 2024, Urrita’s firm also filed a complaint against Junio, who faces charges including murder and child abuse, and is scheduled to stand trial in May, online court records show. In the latest lawsuit, Urrita requested a jury trial and damages exceeding $15,000 to cover, among other expenses, medical care, funeral and burial costs, and lost earnings and earning capacity.

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.