Rodney “Finny Da Legend” Finley, a 44-year-old Phoenix YouTuber, was shot and killed alongside his 43-year-old wife Tanisha on the Las Vegas Strip on the night of June 8, 2025, in a shooting captured on his own live YouTube stream. The Finny Da Legend shooting happened in front of the Bellagio Fountains at about 10:40 p.m., and fellow streamer Manuel “Sin City Manny” Ruiz, 41, was arrested the next morning and charged with two counts of murder with a deadly weapon.1Las Vegas Review-Journal. Shooting on Las Vegas Strip2NBC News. 2 Dead in Shooting on Busy Las Vegas Strip Ruiz has pleaded not guilty and claims self-defense. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
What Happened on the Strip
Finley was livestreaming from the sidewalk in the 3600 block of Las Vegas Boulevard South, directly in front of the Bellagio Fountains. Grand jury footage shows him adjusting his camera on a tripod. About 20 seconds later, Ruiz enters the frame, struggles with Tanisha Finley, and opens fire.38 News Now. YouTuber Accused in Las Vegas Strip Double Murder Says He’s Innocent as New Evidence Emerges
Witnesses reported hearing seven gunshots. The livestream captured Ruiz pulling a gun from his waistband and firing five to six shots, then one or two more after Tanisha grabbed the phone, which fell to the ground still recording. Both Finleys died at the scene. Police reported finding no weapons on either victim.4CBS News. Las Vegas Shooting Livestreamed on Victims’ YouTube Channel58 News Now. YouTuber Panicked After Killing 2 on Las Vegas Strip, Seeks $100K Bail
The Feud Behind the Shooting
The conflict between Finley and Ruiz began in 2023. A friend of the Finley family said it started after Ruiz allegedly pepper-sprayed Tanisha, who went by “Bubbly” online.6Fox 5 Vegas. Friend of YouTuber Killed Over Feud Says He Was Good Father, Son Rather than retaliate physically, Finley chose to troll Ruiz on his streams, and the two spent months sniping at each other through their channels.7The Independent. Las Vegas Shooting Online Streamers
The rivalry grew uglier. Members of the streaming community described bullying on both sides. Finley mocked Ruiz’s content and insulted Ruiz’s wife. Ruiz used racial slurs against Finley and posted a video saying, “Catch you at a red light Finny. Boom Boom Boom.”8News 3 Las Vegas. Online Community Says Strip Shooter, Victim Were YouTubers Who Had Ongoing Beef Ruiz reportedly used YouTube copyright strikes to demonetize Finley’s content and filmed himself searching for Finley in Las Vegas casinos.7The Independent. Las Vegas Shooting Online Streamers
On October 31, 2023, the two sides had a physical confrontation at the Fremont Street Experience, between Binion’s and the Golden Nugget. Ruiz filed a police report claiming Tanisha struck him with a selfie stick and punched him in the face while Rodney pushed him. No charges appear to have been filed against the Finleys.9KTNV. Police Report Reveals Previous Conflict Between Streamers Before Deadly Las Vegas Strip Shooting58 News Now. YouTuber Panicked After Killing 2 on Las Vegas Strip, Seeks $100K Bail
How Police Identified and Arrested Ruiz
After the shooting, Ruiz fled, discarded his firearm and clothing, and left the area, according to court documents. Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun hidden between a wall and a fence near the Paris Las Vegas valet area, along with a hat and t-shirt. Ballistics matched the gun to casings at the scene.10News 3 Las Vegas. Man Arrested in Las Vegas Strip Murders Said He Shot in Self Defense
The identification came from Finley’s own audience. Officers Jeffrey Chavez and Jake Peters responded to the scene, and Peters picked up the still-streaming phone and spoke directly to viewers, asking anyone with information to call. A viewer called the phone and provided the tip that led investigators to Ruiz.11Fox 5 Vegas. Two Las Vegas Police Officers Honored for Response to Deadly Las Vegas Strip Shooting
Ruiz turned himself in at a Henderson Police Department station the next morning, June 9, 2025, at about 10 a.m. He was booked on two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and taken to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police headquarters for questioning.12Las Vegas Review-Journal. Bodycam Footage Released of Strip Shooting Suspect’s Arrest
Ruiz’s Self-Defense Claim
Ruiz told detectives that during the confrontation, Rodney Finley said “What up cuz?” and reached toward his waistband, which Ruiz interpreted as reaching for a gun. Ruiz said he then drew his firearm and fired. He claimed he shot Tanisha because he saw her holding a “shiny black object” he believed to be a weapon.10News 3 Las Vegas. Man Arrested in Las Vegas Strip Murders Said He Shot in Self Defense His attorney later cited Ruiz’s PTSD from a gang-related stabbing at age 23 and the 2023 Halloween battery allegations as context for his state of mind.13News 3 Las Vegas. Sin City Manny Seeks $100,000 Bail, Cites Self-Defense in Deadly Bellagio Shooting
Prosecutors have rejected the account. Police found no weapons on or near either victim, and none are visible in the livestream. The arrest report states the footage “clearly showed Manny advancing towards Finny while shooting.” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said publicly there was “no indication from any of the evidence at all that self-defense would be a viable defense.”10News 3 Las Vegas. Man Arrested in Las Vegas Strip Murders Said He Shot in Self Defense4CBS News. Las Vegas Shooting Livestreamed on Victims’ YouTube Channel
Charges, Death Penalty, and Trial Date
A Clark County grand jury indicted Ruiz on July 10, 2025, on two counts of murder with the use of a deadly weapon, moving the case directly to district court. He was arraigned on July 17, 2025.148 News Now. Grand Jury Indicts Man Accused of Killing 2 in Livestreamed Las Vegas Strip Shooting15Court TV. YouTuber Charged in Las Vegas Strip Murders Could Face Death Penalty
Prosecutors filed formal notice on July 30, 2025, that they would seek the death penalty. The filing cited as an aggravating circumstance that Ruiz “knowingly created a great risk of death to more than one person” by firing seven shots in a crowded area on the Strip. Wolfson said, “In addition to killing two people, basically point-blank, he put a number of other people at risk for either serious injury or death.”16Las Vegas Review-Journal. Prosecutors to Seek Death for Suspect in Fatal Las Vegas Strip Shooting
The defense has repeatedly sought bail. In March 2026, Ruiz’s attorney asked for bail at $100,000 with electronic monitoring, citing the self-defense claim and prior conflict with the Finleys.13News 3 Las Vegas. Sin City Manny Seeks $100,000 Bail, Cites Self-Defense in Deadly Bellagio Shooting On April 2, 2026, Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones denied bail, ruling that prosecutors had presented “strong evidence” and that Ruiz was “not eligible for release.” Multiple judges had denied bail at earlier stages.178 News Now. YouTuber Denied Bail Again in Las Vegas Strip Double Shooting
Ruiz pleaded not guilty, and Judge Jones set trial for August 2026, though reporting notes that Clark County murder trials are frequently delayed. Ruiz remains in custody at the Clark County Detention Center.188 News Now. YouTuber Pleads Not Guilty in Las Vegas Livestreamed Murders Case
Who the Victims Were
Rodney and Tanisha Finley were a couple from Phoenix. Rodney ran the “Finny Da Legend” YouTube channel, which had over 6,000 subscribers at the time of his death. His mother, Kennedy, told reporters he had “just started the page and it just blew up.” Tanisha frequently appeared with him as “Bubbly.”19AZ Family. Phoenix Couple Shot, Killed While Livestreaming on Las Vegas Strip A friend told Fox 5 Vegas the killings “ruined 2 families” and described Rodney as a “good father, son.”6Fox 5 Vegas. Friend of YouTuber Killed Over Feud Says He Was Good Father, Son A GoFundMe was set up for funeral costs, and a vigil was held on the Strip in their memory.