So on this blog, I talk about You Tube a lot. Because a lot of people in the IT service community follow it. Some have popular channels themselves. However, this is a deeply sad blog I have to report, but it is necessary to talk about. YouTube star Etika passed away at 29.
So for those who don’t know him, Etika, real name Desmond Amofar, specialized in critiquing video games on You Tube. His favorite brand to talk about was Nintendo, and his channel, TRI Iceman had over 130,000 subscribers. But in recent months, family, friends and fans grew more concern over his erratic behavior and declining mental health. For instance, in April 2019, he tweeted himself posing with a gun. The next month, he allegedly assaulted a police officer and rushed to a hospital.
Then, last week, Mr. Amofar uploaded a video, quoting, “I really had no intention of killing myself, but I would always push it too far.”. Unfortunately, this would be his last You Tube video. Because on June 20, the NYPD posted Mr. Amofar missing, urging anyone who saw him to come forward. Then, on June 25, police reported Mr. Amafor dead. They found his body floating in New York City’s East River. They also found some of his belongings by the Manhattan Bridge. Yesterday, authorities ruled Mr. Amofar’s death as a suicide.
So YouTube star Etika passed away at 29. In the last couple of days, tributes from all over the world are poured in. They come from followers and fellow You Tubers. Though I never knew him or subscribed to his channel, we also join in in offering our condolences to Desmond ‘Etika’ Amofar’s family, friends and community. So why even talk about this? Because suicide is an epidemic in this country right now. The statistics are alarming. In fact, it’s getting so bad that for the third year in a row, the US life expectancy rate declined. That’s the first time that happened since the World War 1/Spanish Flu era of the late 1910s. So if you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Or you can visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org. Remember, you are worth saving and you are worth fighting for.