scorecard
  1. Home
  2. life
  3. news
  4. 19-year-old TikTok star Swavy, known for dances and memes, dies from gunshot wound: Police

19-year-old TikTok star Swavy, known for dances and memes, dies from gunshot wound: Police

Kieran Press-Reynolds   

19-year-old TikTok star Swavy, known for dances and memes, dies from gunshot wound: Police
Thelife2 min read
  • On Monday, TikTok star Swavy, 19, died from a gunshot wound, police said.
  • Friends and fans mourned the influencer's death on social media.
  • According to Wilmington police, an investigation into the incident is underway.

19-year-old TikTok star Swavy, whose real name is Matima Miller, died from a gunshot wound on Monday, police confirmed.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Wilmington Police Department identified Miller as the victim of "a fatal shooting incident" in his home city of Wilmington, Delaware. Police released details of the shooting on Monday but did not publicize the victim's identity until Tuesday.

According to the police statement, Miller died after he was transferred to the hospital on Monday morning. Police did not specify where the victim was hit in the shooting.

When reached for comment regarding the incident, a public information officer for the Wilmington Police Department said he could not give additional information amid an ongoing investigation into the shooting.

Miller went by the handle @babyface.s on his TikTok, which now has over 2.5 million followers and 98.4 million likes. His videos included dancing segments and meme skits, such as one where he pretended to meet a lost twin brother to the tune of Megan Thee Stallion's "Thot S---."

@babyface.s

Long lost brother wdf??? @famouswooda ##Fyp

♬ original sound - vrywvy

Soon after Miller's death on Monday, but before authorities confirmed the news, the 18-year-old TikTok celebrity Damaury Mikula - who goes by Kid Maury on YouTube - released an emotional tribute video to Swavy titled "REST UP BRO," which sits at almost 1 million views on YouTube as of Tuesday afternoon. Mikula was one of Miller's close friends, according to the website HITC.

"Y'all might not know, but one of my homeboys named Swavy died … he got shot," Mikula said in the video, beginning to tear up. "Seeing him getting taken out, it makes no sense … I literally just texted him on Instagram … right before this happened."

Toward the end of the video, Mikula said that he plans to carry on Swavy's legacy and make sure his name remains known. "I'm about to go hard for you," he said. "You were so innocent."

On social media, fans mourned Miller's death.

"It's always the good ones… RIP SWAVY YOU WONT [sic] BE FORGOTTEN but at least we know he's not gonna be in any more pain," the user @_Sinc3r3ly wrote on Twitter. "Condolences to all his family and close friends."

The Twitter user @asiadior_thread said that Swavy is gone "but never forgotten" and posted a montage of his past clips as a tribute video.

According to the police statement, the incident is still under investigation, with more details to come "when possible."

To read more stories like this, check out Insider's digital culture coverage here.

READ MORE ARTICLES ON


Advertisement

Advertisement