The Mighty Logo

YouTuber Etika Dies After Posting Suicidal Thoughts Online

The most helpful emails in health
Browse our free newsletters

Editor's Note

If you experience suicidal thoughts or have lost someone to suicide, the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.

Update: On Wednesday, authorities officially ruled Desmond “Etika” Amofah’s death a suicide, according to the New York Post. If this news is hard for you, know you are not alone — and there is help for people who feel suicidal. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text “START” to 741-741. 

YouTuber and video game vlogger Desmond Amofah — aka Etika — has died at the age of 29, according to the New York Police Department, on Tuesday. His body was found in New York after he was reported missing days earlier. A cause of death has not been released. 

The following details may be triggering if you or someone you love has struggled with suicidal thoughts, so please take care of yourself and skip reading if you need to.

Amofah was last heard from on June 19 after posting a now-deleted YouTube video sharing he was having suicidal thoughts, having a hard time on social media and struggling with his mental health. A police search located some of his belongings near a Manhattan bridge, according to The New York Post.

“You know I wasn’t suicidal before — I really wasn’t. But one thing I didn’t realize was that the walls were closing around me so fast,” Amofah said on YouTube. “I really had no intention of killing myself but I’d always push it too far. I guess I am mentally ill.”

The popular YouTuber had been struggling earlier in the year, posting about feeling suicidal on social media on several occasions. According to BuzzFeed News, Amofah was taken to a New York hospital for evaluation following a wellness check while Amofah was streaming live on Instagram.

Fans reacted to his death on Twitter and shared condolences.

If this news is hard for you, know you are not alone — and there is help for people who feel suicidal. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text “START” to 741-741. Head here for a list of crisis centers around the world.

To connect with a community that cares, head to our #CheckInWithMe page. There you can read stories and post a Mighty Thought or Question to give and get support.

Originally published: June 25, 2019
Want more of The Mighty?
You can find even more stories on our Home page. There, you’ll also find thoughts and questions by our community.
Take Me Home