Police have now confirmed the death of popular gaming YouTuber Desmond "Etika" Amofah after his body was discovered in Manhattan's East River earlier in the week.
The 29-year-old was first reported missing one week ago. He'd recently uploaded a lengthy YouTube video discussing suicide, which sparked fears for his safety. His belongings were then found by police on the Manhattan Bridge on Monday, and his body was discovered two days later. Amofah, who joined YouTube in 2012, quickly became a popular presence on the site for his reaction videos in which he predominately discussed Nintendo games and products. In just seven years, Amofah amassed a following of over 800,000 fans over YouTube and Twitch - a fanbase he affectionately referred to as the JoyCon Boyz, after the Nintendo Switch controllers. His last upload to YouTube was the aforementioned video, titled "I'm sorry." First shared at midnight on June 19, it showed Amofah walking the streets of New York as he apologised for pushing people away and confirmed that he was living with mental illness. In the video, which has since been removed, he also warned against the dangers of using social media too much, and how it can "give you an image of what you want your life to be and get blown completely out of proportion."He said; "Let my story be one that advises caution on too much of the social media sh**. It will f*** you up and give you an image of what you want your life to be. ... Unfortunately, it consumed me."The news of Amoah's passing was met with an outpouring of tributes and support from his friends and fans. Rod Breslau described the YouTuber as "one of the most iconic and memorable personalities the youtube, streaming, and the gaming community has ever had the pleasure of watching."One fan wrote; "RIP, Etika. Thank you for all the laughs and smiles you gave everyone over the years. My thoughts go out to his friends and family." Another added, "Damn, rest in peace, mental health issues are no joke."Meanwhile, fellow YouTuber YongYea noted that he didn't know Amofah personally, but said that his "hype, energy, and enthusiasm leading up to the release of Smash 4 and Smash Ultimate was infectious. May he rest in peace."Other fans and influencers who shared the news of Amoah's death were encouraging each other to pick up the phone, open up a DM, or find someone to talk to if they ever found themselves feeling lonely, depressed, or overwhelmed.
The 29-year-old was first reported missing one week ago. He'd recently uploaded a lengthy YouTube video discussing suicide, which sparked fears for his safety. His belongings were then found by police on the Manhattan Bridge on Monday, and his body was discovered two days later. Amofah, who joined YouTube in 2012, quickly became a popular presence on the site for his reaction videos in which he predominately discussed Nintendo games and products. In just seven years, Amofah amassed a following of over 800,000 fans over YouTube and Twitch - a fanbase he affectionately referred to as the JoyCon Boyz, after the Nintendo Switch controllers. His last upload to YouTube was the aforementioned video, titled "I'm sorry." First shared at midnight on June 19, it showed Amofah walking the streets of New York as he apologised for pushing people away and confirmed that he was living with mental illness. In the video, which has since been removed, he also warned against the dangers of using social media too much, and how it can "give you an image of what you want your life to be and get blown completely out of proportion."He said; "Let my story be one that advises caution on too much of the social media sh**. It will f*** you up and give you an image of what you want your life to be. ... Unfortunately, it consumed me."The news of Amoah's passing was met with an outpouring of tributes and support from his friends and fans. Rod Breslau described the YouTuber as "one of the most iconic and memorable personalities the youtube, streaming, and the gaming community has ever had the pleasure of watching."One fan wrote; "RIP, Etika. Thank you for all the laughs and smiles you gave everyone over the years. My thoughts go out to his friends and family." Another added, "Damn, rest in peace, mental health issues are no joke."Meanwhile, fellow YouTuber YongYea noted that he didn't know Amofah personally, but said that his "hype, energy, and enthusiasm leading up to the release of Smash 4 and Smash Ultimate was infectious. May he rest in peace."Other fans and influencers who shared the news of Amoah's death were encouraging each other to pick up the phone, open up a DM, or find someone to talk to if they ever found themselves feeling lonely, depressed, or overwhelmed.