‘A man of peace’: Slain North Las Vegas pastor remembered in memorial
Pastor Nick Davi was always so kind and good.
In a memorial service Monday at the North Las Vegas church he helped grow and build, that’s the theme his fellow pastors kept coming back to when they talked about their late colleague and friend.
“In a world that’s often harsh and bitter, Nick demonstrated kindness in such a way that would just break through,” said Pastor Tim Fraiser, speaking to about 600 congregants Monday at Grace Point Church, where Davi had also been a pastor since 2014 and a congregant since 2006.
Which is why his killing — allegedly by a neighbor who shot him and his wife Sarah, who survived — has been so shocking and hard to grasp for the congregants at Grace Point Church, many of whom considered the pastor a friend, church leaders said.
“I think that’s one of the hardest things for us in this situation, and the way this happened, this tragedy, because if you know Nick, you know he’s a man of peace,” said Pastor Ty Neal.
According to a North Las Vegas Police Department arrest report provided by North Las Vegas Justice Court, which redacts references to the Davis by name, as well as the address of where the shooting happened, the victims were shot in front of their two children outside their home on Dec. 29.
The shooting occurred in the 6600 block of Lookout Lodge Lane, a neighborhood of condos near Deer Springs and Aviary ways, police said in a Dec. 30 email that released the suspect’s booking photo.
After they were shot, the Davis were taken to University Medical Center. Nick died. Sarah survived.
Their female next-door neighbor, Joe Junio, 36, was arrested and is facing charges including murder and attempted murder.
Sarah Davi and the couple’s two kids, Olivia, 15, and Christian, 12, were at Monday’s service, but didn’t speak.
The arrest report describes how a dispute that originated with a complaint to the homeowners’ association escalated to the shootings.
After the family reported Junio to the HOA “for violations in relation to chickens and dogs,” Junio began “engaging in escalating threatening behavior” over several weeks with the family ultimately feeling “terrorized” by her, according to the report.
The Davis had filed for a temporary protection order against Junio, for which there was going to be a court hearing on Jan. 8, the police report said.
They had also moved out of their own home and had been sleeping at a friend’s home for two weeks before the killing.
The Davis were leaving their home for that friend’s place at about 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 29 when Junio drove up, parked and, after words were exchanged, shot the Davis, police allege.
Neal also described what happened in a Dec. 31 service that was viewable on Grace Point’s YouTube channel. He said Sarah Davi wrestled the gun from the shooter.
“And Sarah goes on the offense and wrestles the gun away,” Neal said. “And she’s shot as well, but she’s OK.”
In remarks to the audience at the memorial service Monday, which included about 400 who tuned into a livestream on YouTube, a church spokesperson said, Fraiser and Neal shared a stage while talking about their friend and colleague.
“Nick is a peacemaker, Nick is the calmer, Nick is the steady presence,” Neal said. “One of the many things Nick was really good at was being a mediator.
“Believe it or not, sometimes in church, people have beefs with one another. It’s crazy,” Neal said. “Nick was so good about stepping into it and being this diffuser and helping people see a path forward to reconciliation.”
Both pastors noted that Davi, as the church’s pastor of operations, had been instrumental in the building of the church’s modern facilities at 3794 West Ann Road.
“Nick’s fingerprints are on everything around here,” Fraiser said.
“There’s 30,000 square feet, and he loved every inch of this place,” said Camille Gabel, the church’s director of communications. “He took care of it like it was his house.”
Gabel, who lost her boss when Davi died, said the church community has been feeling shock, sadness, and sorrow.
“We, being a church, have people that come in all the time, just off the street to get help,” Gabel said. “And he would give them a bus pass, or he would give them a gift card for food or whatever they needed. He was just very kind and caring.”
Contact Brett Clarkson at bclarkson@reviewjournal.com.