What happened to Michael Duarte? Influencer opened up about mental health crisis shortly before being shot by police

Michael Duarte recently lost his life after being shot by the police on November 8, 2025. The food influencer’s talent agency, Alooma Media Group, confirmed the news on social media.

Following his sudden demise, Michael’s Instagram posts addressing his mental health are grabbing a lot of attention. The details were shared shortly before Duarte’s death. He even added a photo on the post, featuring his daughter. The popular content creator wrote that he expects his story to help the general public in some manner.

Michael Duarte started by recalling his early days, saying that his uncle Arthur Barros was a mentor to him and also worked at the latter’s Brawley-based restaurant, Nana Dora’s. The social media star revealed that he was learning to cook at the place and took care of his mother, who was suffering from breast cancer.

“She didn’t always know how to do everything, but she always supported me in whatever I wanted to learn. When I turned 18 and graduated high school, she packed my bags and sent me to live with family in San Diego”, Michael stated.

Michael Duarte continued by saying that his mother passed away around three years later. The online personality did not stop working, as he was employed at places such as Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Dave & Buster’s.

“During COVID, I left Dave & Buster’s and started posting cooking videos on social media just as a hobby. But during that time, I hit a breaking point and had a mental health crisis that led me to rehab. Looking back, I know that breakdown came from feeling like I had failed at life. The shutdown hit me hard and took a big tool on my confidence”, Duarte added.

Michael said that he adjusted everything after returning to work. Duarte disclosed that he rebuilt everything despite that Ruth’s Chris Steak House had fewer staff members.

Michael Duarte was hospitalized before his death: Shooting incident and more explained

The news of the California-based native’s demise is currently trending on the headlines. The Medina County Sheriff’s Office has now opened up on the circumstances that led to Duarte’s death.

The cause of death was first revealed by TMZ. The outlet stated that Michael Duarte was immediately taken to the San Antonio-based University Hospital. However, he died a few moments later. Duarte was supposed to celebrate another wedding anniversary with his wife, Jessica.

Before being shot dead, Michael Duarte had a confrontation with the cops. While speaking to USA Today, the Sheriff’s Office revealed that the incident happened during the day after someone contacted 911, expressing concern over the behavior of a “male subject”, who allegedly had a knife.

The Independent obtained an incident report, which claimed that Michael reportedly threatened to kill people. The report also reads:

“After multiple verbal commands were given for M Duarte to get on the ground by the Deputy … M Duarte charged toward the Deputy while yelling, ‘I’m going to kill you.’ The Deputy discharged two rounds from her duty weapon, striking M Duarte.”

USA Today stated that Michael Duarte gained recognition for his food-based content on social media, which included recipes, flavor combinations, and others.