A Las Vegas YouTuber shot and killed a rival streamer and his wife Sunday on a busy sidewalk on the Strip — and the murder was livestreamed.
Manuel Ruiz, aged 41, has been accused of two counts of murder. He claimed to the police that he shot Rodney Finley, 44, and Tanisha Finley, 43, in self-defense, as he thought they were going to shoot him, as per KLAS news report. However, the police confirmed that the Finleys were not carrying any weapons.
After the incident, Ruiz left the scene, disposing of his shirt, hat, and gun. He then took a rideshare for a short distance, unable to pay the fare, and later proceeded on foot to a friend’s residence.
According to Ruiz’s statement to the police, Tanisha Finley engaged him on the street in a provocative manner, while Rodney Finley made a threatening gesture towards him, implying he was armed. Feeling imminent danger, Ruiz fired his weapon, initially aiming at Rodney Finley’s torso but adjusting his aim higher as he moved. He also shot Tanisha Finley upon seeing a suspicious object in her possession. Tragically, both victims were fatally shot in the head.
According to the arrest report, another YouTuber told police that Ruiz and Rodney Finley had been engaged in a feud since 2023 and that he saw the shooting on Ruiz’s livestream. He said he saw “Manny pull a gun from his front waistband and point it toard where he believed Finny was standing … saw the muzzle flash on video and heard five to six gunshots.”
Then, he said, he saw Tanisha Finley grab the gimbal holding the phone for the livestream and heard two more gunshots, and the phone fell to the ground, the arrest report said.
Two police officers patrolling the strip heard the gunfire and responded to the scene in front of the Bellagio fountains. As they arrived, Ruiz’s wife, Juliana Pimental, approached them and said she believed her husband had shot someone. She said she was walking in front of him and heard gunshots, so she ran.
Other content creators told local media about the long-standing beef between the two. Ruiz, they said, was angry that he was losing viewers to the Arizona-based “Finny Da Legend” and began demanding that he not film in certain areas, KSNV reported.
Derek Ware, a friend of the Finleys, told Kxxx that Ruiz even pepper-sprayed Tanisha Finley two years ago, KVVU reported.
“His wife said she was OK, so he was just like, ‘OK, let’s handle this another way,’” Ware said. “He controls his emotions very well. That’s what I liked about him the most.”
Ruiz was charged with two counts of open murder and ordered held without bond.
