A feud between two YouTube streamers escalated into a fatal shooting in Las Vegas over the weekend, resulting in the death of one of the streamers. The victim, 44-year-old Rodney Finley, known online as Finny Da Legend, was allegedly killed by fellow streamer Manuel Ruiz, 41, who goes by the name Sin City Manny.
According to local reports, the conflict between the two men had been brewing for some time, with personal and public attacks, including an alleged pepper spray incident. The situation took a tragic turn when Finley was shot and killed outside a Las Vegas resort. Finley’s wife, Tanisha Finley, was also fatally shot during the incident.
Ruiz, who is facing two counts of murder, was ordered to be held without bail by a Las Vegas Justice Court judge. In his arrest report, Ruiz claimed that he shot Finley in self-defense after Finley allegedly reached for something in his waistband in an aggressive manner. Ruiz also claimed that he shot Tanisha Finley after seeing a “shiny black object” in her possession, which he believed to be a gun.
The shooting was reportedly broadcast on a livestream, with a mutual friend and fellow YouTube content creator witnessing the incident. The friend, who has not been publicly identified, reported seeing Ruiz pull a gun from his waistband and fire five to six shots.
Following the shooting, Ruiz allegedly fled the scene but was later apprehended after his wife, Juliana Pimentel, informed the police of his involvement. In the aftermath of the incident, fellow YouTubers have been sharing their accounts of the feud between Finley and Ruiz, which reportedly stemmed from a desire for more viewers and control of streaming in the Las Vegas area.
According to Daniel Gutierrez, another streamer, Ruiz was particularly aggressive, allegedly demanding that Finley refrain from filming in certain locations. Gutierrez also claimed that Ruiz would frequently insult Finley’s wife and use racial slurs, leading to a loss of followers.
Derek Ware, a friend of Finley’s, confirmed that the tension between the two men had been building for two years. Ware also claimed that Ruiz had previously targeted Tanisha Finley with pepper spray. He expressed relief at the time that the incident did not involve bullets, a sentiment that now carries a tragic irony.