Desmond Amofah, a popular YouTuber known to the gaming community as Etika, was found dead in New York City after a week-long search. According to reports, Amofah’s body was recovered off of Pier 16 in the East River on Monday night (Jun. 24). He was 29 years old.
After posting an alarming eight-minute video discussing “leaving a stained legacy”and suicidal thoughts to his YouTube channel last week, Amofah went missing. Personal items belonging to him such as his driver’s license and his wallet were found along the Manhattan Bridge last week, and he was last heard from on the phone around 8 p.m. on Jun. 19, per the NYPD.
Amofah amassed tens of thousands of followers due to his reviews, streams and commentary on several games, primarily pertaining to Nintendo. Recently, he has been open about his struggles with mental health on social media. His YouTube channel was taken down from the video-sharing website due to violation of guidelines. He also reportedly live-streamed an incident involving him and NYPD officers, which resulted in his admittance into a Brooklyn hospital.
This is a developing story.
We mourn the loss of Etika, a beloved member of our gaming creator community. All of us at YouTube are sending condolences to his loved ones and fans.
— YouTube Creators (@YTCreators) June 25, 2019