What to Know
- The body of a popular YouTube personality and gamer from Brooklyn who had gone missing after posting a cryptic video has been found
- Desmond Amofah, better known as Etika, was found in the waters near South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan Monday afternoon
- Nobody had been in contact with him since June 19; the medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine how he died
The body of a popular YouTube personality and gamer from Brooklyn who had gone missing after posting a cryptic video last week has been found, law enforcement confirmed on Twitter Tuesday.
Desmond Amofah, better known as Etika, was found in the waters near South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan around 6:30 p.m. Monday, according to the NYPD. An autopsy will be conducted to determine cause of death.
Family, friends and fans of Etika grew concerned after the YouTuber published an 8-minute video online apologizing to people he felt he let down. His video was published sometime shortly before he went missing.
After his death was confirmed, Etika's community flooded social media with messages of support and sadness over the entertainer's death, using the hashtag #JOYCONBOYZFOREVER. Etika popularized the "Joycon Boys" term over his love of of Nintendo's Switch video game console.
"Mental illness is not a joke, nor is it something you should keep inside. I've had my struggles from time to time too. We all do. REACH OUT when it happens, no matter how much you feel you can't. Nobody is alone in this life," FaZeCBass, a popular Twitch streamer said on Twitter.
In a statement, YouTube said "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."
Local
Police sources had told News 4 that Amofah had a history with mental illness and had been hospitalized in the past. Authorities found his personal items, including a phone and identification, on the Manhattan Bridge last week.
Nobody had been in contact with Amofah since the night of June 19.
The cryptic video he posted before he went missing was not the first time the 29-year-old posted that kind of concerning content online. In April, police were called after Amofah posted some disturbing tweets.
If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting 'Home' to 741741
