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YouTube star Desmond 'Etika' Amofah's death ruled suicide after his body was found in New York's East River

The New York Police Department said that his body was found floating in New York's East River on Tuesday, June 25, half a mile from the place where his belongings were discovered near Manhattan Bridge

The police have confirmed that the death of Youtuber Desmond Amofah was a suicide. It was revealed on Wednesday, June 26, that Desmond, popularly known as Etika, has died. He was 29 years old. His death was ruled a suicide by drowning.

The New York Police Department said that his body was found floating in New York's East River on Tuesday, June 25, half a mile from the place where his belongings were discovered near Manhattan Bridge. He was known for creating Nintendo-centric videos. He had gone missing for days after he posted a cryptic video discussing his suicidal thoughts the previous week.

As MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) had previously reported, a search had been launched after his belongings were found along the side of the Manhattan Bridge on the night of June 22.

The NYPD had first confirmed his disappearance as a missing person's case on June 20. Nearly 36 hours earlier, he had uploaded an emotional eight-minute video to his secondary YouTube channel, stating suicidal thoughts and mental health issues.

He had said: "I'm sorry for leaving such a stained legacy. I hope that my story maybe helps to make YouTube a better place in the future where people know boundaries and limits and how far things should go," the YouTuber said in his video. "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. I really had no intention of killing myself but I'd always push it too far. I guess I am mentally ill."

 In April, he had live-streamed a standoff with New York police, apparently prompted by multiple erratic tweets, including one that included a picture of himself posing with a gun. 

New York police, at the time, had said that Amofah was "threatening suicide in the apartment" and had a history of mental health issues. He was subsequently taken to a hospital in Brooklyn after the incident. Fans have expressed their condolences on social media.