Latest news with #RodneyFinley
USA Today
16-06-2025
- USA Today
Deadly Las Vegas shooting was livestreamed on YouTube, police report says
Deadly Las Vegas shooting was livestreamed on YouTube, police report says Show Caption Hide Caption Suspect turns himself in after deadly Las Vegas Strip shooting Two people died from gunshot wounds on the Las Vegas Strip. Police believe the shooting was an isolated incident and are searching for the suspect. A yearslong online rivalry between two Las Vegas YouTubers turned deadly when one of them allegedly shot and killed the other earlier this month, according to a police report from the incident. On June 8 around 10:40 p.m. local time, Manuel "Manny" Ruiz allegedly fatally shot Rodney Finley and his wife Tanisha Finley near the Bellagio fountains on the Las Vegas strip, according to the report obtained by USA TODAY. Ruiz, 41, was identified as a suspect in the shooting. He turned himself in to authorities on June 9 and was charged with two counts of open murder with use of a deadly weapon, LVMPD said in a release. According to the police report, Ruiz is claiming self-defense in the shooting. It's unclear if he has an attorney. Police report: Suspect, victim had ongoing feud before fatal shooting Manny Ruiz and Rodney Finley both ran YouTube channels in the Las Vegas area, according to the police report. They had a feud with each other that dated back to October 2023, the report said. Ruiz alleged Finley made negative comments about him and his wife online. Ruiz told investigators that he recently had an altercation with Finley during which he was cited for battery. He had an upcoming court date for the incident on June 12, he told police. In an interview with police, Ruiz's wife said they had previously received "verbal threats and insults" on their YouTube channel. They had also received hate mail at their home before, she said. Witness recounted watching shooting on livestream The police report also said both Ruiz and Rodney Finley were livestreaming on their YouTube channels when the shooting occurred. A witness who watched Rodney Finley's livestream told police he saw Ruiz appear on screen, pull a gun from his waistband and fire at least five shots out of view. Tanisha Finley then grabbed the phone before the witness said he heard several more gunshots. The phone fell to the ground and remained streaming until a police officer appeared in frame and shut the video off, the witness said. Ruiz claims self-defense in fatal shooting Ruiz told police he shot Rodney and Tanisha Finley in self-defense, according to the report. He said Tanisha Finley was dancing in his face. He said he then saw Rodney Finley reaching for something in his waistband which he believed to be a weapon, which is when he fired. After, he said he saw Tanisha Finley holding a "shiny black object" which he believed to be a weapon, leading Ruiz to fire at her. According to the report, Ruiz was "adamant" to officers that he shot in self-defense and said he didn't know the Finleys were livestreaming. He also denied making any threats towards them. Investigators showed Ruiz video of the incident, which "clearly shows Manny (Ruiz) advancing towards" the victims, according to the report. Rodney and Tanisha Finley were 'soulmates,' GoFundMe says Rodney Finley, 44, and Tanisha Finley, 43, were identified as the victims killed in the shooting. At the time of the shooting, officers responded and rendered medical assistance, but both victims were pronounced dead at the scene, LVMPD Undersheriff Andrew Walsh said during a press conference. According to a GoFundMe page organized by Tanisha Finley's brother, Rodney and Tanisha Finley had four kids together. One of the couple's children, Rakia Finley, told 12News that her parents "were literally soulmates." The GoFundMe said the couple's deaths "have left the family in deep mourning." Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
CBS News
13-06-2025
- CBS News
YouTuber couple gunned down on Las Vegas Strip livestreamed the shooting, police say
The two people killed in a shooting over the weekend on the Las Vegas Strip captured it on video while livestreaming to their shared YouTube channel, according to a police report. The married victims were identified by the Clark County coroner's office as Tanisha Finley, 43, and Rodney Finley, 44. Both died of multiple gunshot wounds. Las Vegas police said the shooting on Sunday night near the landmark Bellagio fountains was an isolated incident between the victims and the suspect, who had been feuding on social media since at least 2023. The suspect, identified by police as Manuel D. Ruiz, surrendered to authorities Monday morning at a police station outside of Las Vegas. Ruiz, 41, faces two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and is being held without bail, jail records show. Ruiz, a YouTuber known as "Sin City Manny" online, appeared in court Thursday, CBS affiliate KLAS-TV reported. The Associated Press sent an emailed message Thursday seeking comment from his public defender. Ruiz told police after his arrest that he was acting in self-defense, according to his arrest report. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers investigate the scene of a shooting on the Strip that left two dead Monday, June 9, 2025, in Las Vegas. Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson disputed that claim during a news conference Thursday, KLAS-TV reported. "I think it's probably garbage. There's no indication from any of the evidence at all that self-defense would be a viable defense," Wolfson said. "No weapons were found near the victims or on the victims, and the motivation is pretty clear." Wolfson also said prosecutors will consider seeking the death penalty for Ruiz, KLAS-TV reported. Shooting seen on livestream The suspect is seen in the video livestream pulling a gun from his waistband, raising it and initially firing between five and six shots, according to a description of the video detailed in the report. One or two more gunshots can be heard in the video after Tanisha Finley is seen grabbing the cellphone that is being used for the livestream. "The phone fell to the ground and remained still for a moment until a police officer appeared in the camera frame and turned off the livestream," the report said. The couple's son was among the 911 callers to report the shooting, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. "I heard gunshots around him," he says. "I think he might have got shot, so I was just trying to check and make sure, just try to see if he's OK or where he's at." In his interview with police after he surrendered, the suspect said he also has a YouTube channel and had been livestreaming from the Strip on the night of the shooting. Ruiz told police began shooting because it looked like one of the victims was reaching for a weapon, according to the report. Police said no firearms were found on the victims. The shooting happened on one of the busiest stretches of the Strip. The dancing Bellagio fountains, which soar up to 460 feet into the air, play every 15 minutes on the weekends between 8 p.m. and midnight. Rodney Finley's mother, Gracie Kennedy, told CBS affiliate KPHO-TV that her son and Ruiz had apparently been feuding online. "I told my son I said, 'come on, this is getting too far,"' Kennedy told the station. "Calm it down, calm it down."
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Family speaks about Arizona YouTubers gunned down on Las Vegas Strip
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Family spoke for the first time this week about two YouTubers gunned down on the Las Vegas Strip after what police called an ongoing social media feud. 'He wanted always to be the funniest person in the room,' Gracie Kennedy said. Livestream viewers flood 911 to report Las Vegas Strip shooting: 'We watch these two guys live all the time' Kennedy shared what she loved about her son, Rodney Finley, during an interview with 8 News Now's sister station, KPHO. 'He just started the page, and it just blew up,' Kennedy said. 'He had no idea it was going to blow up like that.' Rodney Finley, 44, and his wife, Tanisha Finley, 43, were gunned down in front of the Bellagio fountains Sunday night. The shooting was caught on their 'Finny Da Legend' livestream. Video shows suspect in Las Vegas Strip double murder turning self in Kennedy told KPHO she was watching it all happen from her home in Phoenix. 'I called him, he said, 'mom I can't talk to you right now because I'm live streaming,'' she said. 'And then I heard the shots and then I heard some more shots and the phone dropped.' Fellow streamer Manuel Ruiz, known as 'Sin City Manny' online, who faces two murder charges in the case, appeared in court Thursday. Ruiz told police after he was arrested that he shot both people in self defense, because they thought they were going to shoot him, according to arrest documents. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson disputed that claim during a news conference Thursday. 'I think it's probably garbage. There's no indication from any of the evidence at all that self-defense would be a viable defense,' Wolfson said. 'No weapons were found near the victims or on the victims, and the motivation is pretty clear.' Wolfson also said prosecutors will consider seeking the death penalty for Ruiz. 'This is a case involving the death of two innocent people,' Wolfson said. 'Whenever we have a situation where two people are killed needlessly, senselessly, it's always an option. Kennedy also addressed the alleged feud between Ruiz and Finley. 'I told my son I said, 'come on, this is getting too far,'' Kennedy said. 'Calm it down, calm it down.' She added that she wished things hadn't escalated to violence. 'He said, 'I hope your mom has a black dress,' Kennedy said. ''Because, I'm going to kill you.'' Two of the multiple people who called 911 after the shooting happened identified themselves as Rodney Finley's son and Tanisha Finley's mother. Both said they were watching the livestream from Phoenix. Ruiz is due to appear back in court on July 3. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
13-06-2025
- Washington Post
Shooting on Las Vegas Strip near Bellagio that killed 2 was livestreamed, police say
LAS VEGAS — The two people killed in a shooting over the weekend on the Las Vegas Strip captured it on video while livestreaming to their shared YouTube channel, according to a police report. The married victims were identified by the Clark County coroner's office as Tanisha Finley, 43, and Rodney Finley, 44. Both died of multiple gunshot wounds. Las Vegas police said the shooting on Sunday night near the landmark Bellagio fountains was an isolated incident between the victims and the suspect, who had been feuding on social media since at least 2023. The suspect, identified by police as Manuel D. Ruiz, surrendered to authorities Monday morning at a police station outside of Las Vegas. Ruiz, 41, faces two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and is being held without bail, jail records show. The Associated Press sent an emailed message Thursday seeking comment from his public defender. Ruiz told police after his arrest that he was acting in self-defense, according to his arrest report. The suspect is seen in the video livestream pulling a gun from his waistband, raising it and initially firing between five and six shots, according to a description of the video detailed in the report. One or two more gunshots can be heard in the video after Tanisha Finley is seen grabbing the cellphone that is being used for the livestream. 'The phone fell to the ground and remained still for a moment until a police officer appeared in the camera frame and turned off the livestream,' the report said. The couple's son was among the 911 callers to report the shooting, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported . 'I heard gunshots around him,' he says. 'I think he might have got shot, so I was just trying to check and make sure, just try to see if he's OK or where he's at.' In his interview with police after he surrendered, the suspect said he also has a YouTube channel and had been livestreaming from the Strip on the night of the shooting. Ruiz told police began shooting because it looked like one of the victims was reaching for a weapon, according to the report. Police said no firearms were found on the victims. The shooting happened on one of the busiest stretches of the Strip. The dancing Bellagio fountains, which soar up to 460 feet (140 meters) into the air, play every 15 minutes on the weekends between 8 p.m. and midnight.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- The Independent
Shooting on Las Vegas Strip near Bellagio that killed 2 was livestreamed, police say
The two people killed in a shooting over the weekend on the Las Vegas Strip captured it on video while livestreaming to their shared YouTube channel, according to a police report. The married victims were identified by the Clark County coroner's office as Tanisha Finley, 43, and Rodney Finley, 44. Both died of multiple gunshot wounds. Las Vegas police said the shooting on Sunday night near the landmark Bellagio fountains was an isolated incident between the victims and the suspect, who had been feuding on social media since at least 2023. The suspect, identified by police as Manuel D. Ruiz, surrendered to authorities Monday morning at a police station outside of Las Vegas. Ruiz, 41, faces two counts of open murder with a deadly weapon and is being held without bail, jail records show. The Associated Press sent an emailed message Thursday seeking comment from his public defender. Ruiz told police after his arrest that he was acting in self-defense, according to his arrest report. The suspect is seen in the video livestream pulling a gun from his waistband, raising it and initially firing between five and six shots, according to a description of the video detailed in the report. One or two more gunshots can be heard in the video after Tanisha Finley is seen grabbing the cellphone that is being used for the livestream. 'The phone fell to the ground and remained still for a moment until a police officer appeared in the camera frame and turned off the livestream,' the report said. The couple's son was among the 911 callers to report the shooting, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. 'I heard gunshots around him," he says. "I think he might have got shot, so I was just trying to check and make sure, just try to see if he's OK or where he's at.' In his interview with police after he surrendered, the suspect said he also has a YouTube channel and had been livestreaming from the Strip on the night of the shooting. Ruiz told police began shooting because it looked like one of the victims was reaching for a weapon, according to the report. Police said no firearms were found on the victims. The shooting happened on one of the busiest stretches of the Strip. The dancing Bellagio fountains, which soar up to 460 feet (140 meters) into the air, play every 15 minutes on the weekends between 8 p.m. and midnight.
