The ill-fated intersection of digital animosity and real-world violence manifested starkly on the Las Vegas Strip when a confrontation between two YouTubers turned deadly. Body camera footage, now public, shows 41-year-old Manuel Ruiz surrendering to authorities following the fatal shooting of fellow content creator Rodney Finley, 44, and his wife Tanisha, 43. The incident occurred outside the Bellagio Hotel and Casino late Sunday night, as reported by FOX5.
Ruiz, known as "Sin City Manny" online, had reportedly been embroiled in a prolonged feud with Rodney Finley, who went by "Finny Da Legend" on his YouTube channel. The dispute, hinted to possibly revolve around copyright issues, escalated tragically on the Strip. Police said the couple died on the scene after being shot just before 11 p.m. Ruiz then opted to turn himself in the next morning at around 10 a.m., as obtained from News3LV.
During the surrender caught on camera, an officer is heard instructing Ruiz to face the wall and inquires about any weapons. After securing him with handcuffs, the officer fetches a chair for Ruiz to sit while they go to speak with a superior. Ruiz's subsequent detainment took place at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police headquarters, where he claimed the shooting was in self-defense and professed to have fled upon noticing police convergence, according to his arrest report, as per News3LV.
Detectives presented Ruiz with footage from the livestream of the incident, which seemed to contrarily show Ruiz advancing toward Rodney Finley before firing. The online feud, characterized by mutual insults and threatening videos from Ruiz, was cited by authorities as an alleged motive. Ruiz is currently held without bail and is slated to appear in court Thursday morning, as FOX5 detailed.
