YouTuber Etika Dies After Posting Suicidal Thoughts Online
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.
Hard to grasp that he's actually gone, left us way too soon.
You will continue to live on in our hearts.
Rest in peace @Etika— ƿ૯ωძɿ૯ƿɿ૯ (@pewdiepie) June 25, 2019
RIP Etika. We didn't know each other but I just wanted to say rest in peace. It gets said a lot on social media but I'm gonna say it again. Reach out to someone, anyone, to talk through things. There are always people that care about you ❤️
— Callux (@Callux) June 25, 2019
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
We’re heartbroken to hear about the loss of Youtuber Desmond “Etika” Amofah. We are sending our thoughts + support to his loved ones and fans.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line: text BUDDY to 741-741 for free, 24/7 support pic.twitter.com/xSa4dhK8ti— Buddy Project (@ProjectBuddy) June 26, 2019
#BETRemembers Desmond Amofah better known as Etika, the popular gamer and YouTube personality – an admired Black voice who defied stereotypes in Gaming. Condolences to his family and fans around the world. #Etika pic.twitter.com/QSEcoawwdx
— BET (@BET) June 26, 2019
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.
Renée Fabian was the features editor at The Mighty. She has also written for The Washington Post, VICE, Healthline, Talkspace, The Fix, The Establishment, The Culture Trip, and GRAMMY.com, among others. Renée was named a 2019 AHCJ Comparative Effectiveness Research fellow, a 2020 USC Center for Health Journalism California fellow, and holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a master's degree in psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. You can follow her on Twitter @ryfabian.
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