Man in Scottsbluff standoff had protection order, pending sentencing on charges

A five-hour standoff ended at about 9 a.m. at the WNCC campus in Scottsbluff with the man, identified by family members on social media as Juan De La Cruz, 28, of Scottsbluff, being transported to Regional West Medical Center.

Just before 7 a.m., WNCC issued an alert via its Facebook page notifying students and others about the standoff and advising people to stay off the campus. At about 9 a.m., ambulance personnel were heard transporting a man in his 20s to Regional West Medical Center. The man had been found unresponsive after taking an unknown quantity of medication and two fentanyl. He was not able to be revived on scene, according to the traffic.

According to information released by WNCC, WNCC campus security had alerted police after a man attempted to enter a WNCC vehicle at about 3:40 a.m. As officers responded, he climbed onto the roof of the Applied Technology building, claiming to be armed with a firearm. Police released that the man had been wearing a mask and carrying a backpack, saying he was going to shoot and kill officers. Police determined him to be in a mental health crisis and he was described in a press release as having laid down on the roof and also refusing to comply with officer commands.

At about 7 a.m, police and fire were seen stationed and blocking off 17th Avenue, along the eastern side of the campus, however, other activity such as mowing was still occurring. Activity in the parking lot on the western side of the campus wasn't visible from 27th Street, which wasn't blocked.

Capt. Cody Enlow released that after a perimeter had been established around the building, negotiators were called and had been in contact with De La Cruz for nearly five hours when he ingested an unknown number of prescription medications. After he ingested the medications, Enlow said, De La Cruz had become lethargic and a team of offiers made entry to the roof via an external ladder.

The standoff ended shortly after 9 a.m. According to scanner traffic, the man was believed to have ingested a prescription medication and fentanyl pills. He was described as unresponsive as he was being transported to Regional West Medical Center. Enlow said that medical care was immediately provided, and care continued at the hospital.

During the standoff, De La Cruz posted multiple social media posts, including two videos that showed him on top of the roof at WNCC. One of the videos showed police trying to make contact with him early Tuesday morning, while he is swearing and threatening them. At one point, he also threatens to shoot a drone being used by police. In another video, he demanded food, drinks and to see his children. The man also said that he had family members on scene and family members confirmed on social media that he was the man involved in the standoff. He also said in one post that he was going to "die a G." 

Enlow said police did recover a weapon in De La Cruz's possession, though it was not a firearm.

A search of online court records shows that a Gering woman had sought, and been granted, a domestic abuse protection order against De La Cruz in July 2025. A Scotts Bluff County District Court judge affirmed the protection order in November 2025, which also involved two minor children, after a hearing on the order. An address cited on the protection order indicated the man had reportedly been living not far from the WNCC campus. In the protection order, the woman cited incidents in which the man had threatened her, her children and herself while in possession of a gun.

De La Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced in August on a charge of terroristic threats, a Class IIIA felony, in connection with a July 3, 2025, incident, which was among those cited in the woman's protection order application. According to a court affidavit, the woman reported De La Cruz had followed her from her Gering residence to a Gering intersection where he pulled a gun on her. The woman's daughter had been in the car at the time, according to the affidavit. In a CAPstone interview with one of the children, the child told police she had also seen the gun. De La Cruz had entered a plea agreement in the case in June, with a charge of possession of a firearm being dismissed. 

The WNCC campus opened at 10 a.m., according to information in its release. President Greg Dart said, "Thank you to our local law enforcement agencies and fire departments for their swift response and dedication to keeping our students, employees and community safe."

The Nebraska State Patrol, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, the Gering Police Department and Scottsbluff Fire Department, as well as Regional West Ambulance, were among those observed to be on the scene.