On Sunday night, Arizona-based YouTuber Rodney “Finny Da Legend” Finley, 44, and his wife Tanisha “Bubbly” Finley, 43, were fatally shot near the Bellagio fountains on the Las Vegas Strip while livestreaming for their combined 6,000+ YouTube followers, according to reports. Video footage captured the moment a man approached and opened fire, prompting bystanders and tourists to scatter in panic.

The suspect, 41-year-old Manuel “SinCity‑Manny” Ruiz, turned himself into Henderson police the following morning and has been charged with two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon. 

Court documents reveal Ruiz claimed self-defense, asserting that he believed Finley was reaching for a weapon and that Mrs. Finley held a “shiny black object” he mistook for a gun. However, police reports and surveillance footage show no weapons were found on the victims. 

Friends say the deadly incident stemmed from a long-standing feud that began in 2023, reportedly triggered by Ruiz pepper-spraying Tanisha. The dispute escalated online as both creators took jabs at each other over copyright infringement disputes and public insults in their videos. 

Rodney’s friend Derek Ware described him as “a good father” who regularly checked on others and donated to those in need. He also praised Tanisha’s lively spirit: “She would have fun everywhere she went.” 

Ware lamented that two families have been “ruined” by the shooting. 

Ruiz remains jailed without bail, with his next court hearing scheduled for Thursday.