A 29-year-old YouTube star’s sudden death is sparking an outpouring of grief and frustration among his fans and colleagues

Desmond

  • The New York Police Department confirmed on Tuesday that YouTube star Desmond "Etika" Amofah was found dead. He was 29 years old.
  • Amofah was reported missing last Wednesday. Prior to disappearing, he uploaded a YouTube video, since removed, stating suicidal intentions.
  • Across the last year, Amofah demonstrated increasingly erratic behavior. Much of that behavior was on public display due to his work on YouTube.
  • In the wake of his tragic death, fans and colleagues are sharing an outpouring of grief and caution.
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YouTube star Desmond "Etika" Amofah was found dead, the New York Police Department confirmed on Tuesday. He was 29 years old.

Amofah rose to prominence in the YouTube world through video games, and he counted prominent figures like Dominique "SonicFox" McLean among his colleagues. 

In the wake of Amofah’s death, his fans and colleagues are mourning. 

Desmond

"Rest well Etika," McLean said. "This is such a heartbreaking thing to see. People don’t understand how important mental health is, especially when you reach that level of popularity. It’s insanely hard to feel treated like a human being at that level, and I wish he had got the help he needed."

Amofah was reported missing last Wednesday following the release of a video he made where he spoke about suicidal thoughts. The video has since been removed.

Across the past year, Amofah was involved in a handful of high-profile incidents: His YouTube channel was banned for streaming pornographic content, and he streamed himself being detained by the Brooklyn Police after threatening self-harm.

His death is sparking conversation about social media voyeurism when mental health issues are involved:

And it’s also calling into question the responsibility of the platform to its creators:

But, most of all, there’s an outpouring of grief over the needless death of a young man:

SEE ALSO: NYPD confirms missing 29-year-old YouTuber Desmond Amofah, better known as Etika, has been found dead

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