Brandon Buckingham: His YouTube Career, Brother, and the Day He Was Shot as He Reveals His Serious Condition

Popular YouTuber Brandon Buckingham, has revealed he is in a life-threatening condition. His fans are stunned and deeply concerned, as he shares an update from the hospital. B

Buckingham is best known for The Buckingham Show and his documentaries exploring violent street culture and controversial social themes, posted the alarming message on 21 November on X.

The update immediately triggered widespread shock from his followers, with many pleading for answers.

Just weeks earlier, the YouTuber appeared to be recovering. On 10 November, he announced that he had been discharged from hospital and that his condition seemed to have stabilised.

In a tweet, he wrote that he'll be improving in a few weeks. However, the slow recovery reversed drastically which resulted in his current ICU stay.

From Classroom Teacher to YouTube Documentarian

Buckingham's online career has grown over the past three years. He has 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube, built through a reputation for immersing himself in high-risk environments.

In one earlier video, he recounted leaving his job as an elementary school art teacher at age 24 despite having a master's degree, choosing instead to pursue his dream of becoming a YouTuber.

His content ranges from comedic social interactions to in-depth, sometimes harrowing explorations of inner-city violence, homelessness, subcultures and geopolitical issues.

Ten days before his health update, he published a documentary about homeless children in the Middle East. This was new to fans as it turned his content into a more serious investigative storytelling.

He's had many notable contents over the last couple of years, but one of his most widely discussed videos is the one in which he recounts the night he was nearly killed in a mass shooting in Chicago.

The Night He Was Shot At in Chicago

In a documentary posted earlier this year, Buckingham detailed how he and his team were attacked outside a Chicago recording studio at 2:24 a.m.

Six gunmen ambushed the group, firing more than 60 rounds. Four people were hit, including Matt, Buckingham's cameraman, who sustained a bullet lodged in his jaw.

The video shows Matt recording his own reaction in real-time, unaware at first that he had been struck. 'There's blood all over me... did I get hit?' he says in the footage.

Buckingham said he refused to cooperate with police at the scene, explaining that he did not want to contribute to further violence.

Instead, he asked viewers to support his injured cameraman's YouTube channel, emphasising that he did not want to perpetuate the cycle of retaliation that dominates Chicago's gang conflict.

The documentary placed Buckingham inside the heart of Chicago's drill scene, interviewing rising artists such as Vert, Q50, and Turtle89.

He explored neighbourhoods with deep histories of violence and loss, including Jal City and Grand Crossing, where many of these young rappers grew up amid ongoing conflict. The video also touched on the deaths of Bloodhound Lil Jeff and Lil Scoom, whose lives and legacies were a key part of the documentary.

Family and Faith

Throughout his videos, Buckingham has frequently referenced his close relationship with his family, often featuring his grandfather and father in lighter, more personal uploads.

One of his recent posts showed him taking his grandfather to the park after the elder man revealed he was getting divorced.

Fans have also expressed concern about Buckingham's younger brother, who is occasionally mentioned in his content. While Buckingham has kept many details private, his family remains a recurring emotional anchor in his storytelling.

Uncertain Road Ahead

As Buckingham battles what he describes as multi-organ failure, supporters remain hopeful for his recovery. With no confirmed diagnosis yet, the YouTuber's condition is surrounded by speculation, worry and prayer from his global audience.

What is clear, however, is that Buckingham's career has brought him face-to-face with both physical and emotional extremes.

His future remains uncertain, but the outpouring of public support reflects the deep connection he has forged with millions of viewers who now wait anxiously for his next update.