LAS VEGAS, NV – A heated online feud between two YouTube personalities erupted in violence over the weekend, tragically ending with the shooting deaths of Rodney Finley and his wife, Tanisha, on the Las Vegas Strip. The accused shooter, identified as 41-year-old Manuel Ruiz, faces two counts of murder and is being held without bail.
The victims, particularly Rodney Finley, known to his online audience as “Finny Da Legend,” had been embroiled in an intense rivalry with Ruiz, who operates under the alias “Sin City Manny.” This dispute, fueled by online confrontations and contentious exchanges, spiraled into a deadly confrontation outside a prominent Las Vegas resort.
According to an arrest report, Ruiz allegedly confronted Finley and his wife after claiming she “danced in his face.” Ruiz described feeling threatened when Finley allegedly reached for an object in his waistband and addressed him aggressively.
The situation quickly escalated, resulting in Ruiz opening fire, which he purportedly claims was in self-defense.
Echoing this narrative of escalating tensions, fellow streamer Daniel Gutierrez suggested that the friction between the two YouTubers was linked to competition for viewership and control over streaming locations in the Vegas area. He expressed that Ruiz, in particular, was pressured by the shift of followers, many of whom began supporting Finley.
Gutierrez added that Ruiz resorted to derogatory comments about Finley and even aimed racial slurs at him, exacerbating an already fraught relationship. Finley’s friend, Derek Ware, confirmed that the feud had been brewing for two years and involved prior incidents, including an alleged pepper spray assault on Tanisha.
Ware recounted urging Finley to resolve the hostility before it escalated further. “I was saying, ‘I’m just glad it was pepper spray, it wasn’t bullets,'” Ware reflected, underscoring the tension that had earlier reached a worrying crescendo.
Before their tragic deaths, the couple appeared to be gaining traction online, boasting an increasing number of followers—something that purportedly added strain on Ruiz. Ware mentioned that he discovered Finley through Ruiz’s content, reflecting on how Ruiz’s viewers were gradually drawn to Finley’s growing online presence.
