North Platte Post
We will continue to update the story when more information becomes available.
Update****
Bradley Garcia is in police custody. According to media outlets, Garcia is being transported to Regional West for minor injuries.
Update****
According to media outlets in Gering, the hostage has been released. Authorities are still working on getting 37 year old suspect Bradley Garcia to surrender.
Update****
Joint press release from Gering Police Department and Scotts Bluff County Sheriff
On Tuesday, September 26, 2023, a Scotts Bluff County Deputy attempted to stop a vehicle in Gering for a traffic violation. The driver, later identified as Bradley Garcia, age 37, refused to stop. A brief pursuit ensued that included Gering Police, ending when Garcia crashed his car into a garage in the 2300 block of 19th Street in Gering.
Garcia discharged a firearm towards the Deputy’s vehicle during the pursuit but did not strike the vehicle. Garcia then entered the home and took the three female occupants hostage.
Eventually, he allowed two juvenile females to leave the house unharmed, but the adult female remains inside. As the situation continued, Garcia fired multiple gunshots towards officers from more than one weapon. No officers or citizens were injured, and no rounds were fired by law enforcement.
Original Story
GERING, NEB.- Multiple Law Enforcement agencies from across the state of Nebraska and the FBI are in Gering as the hostage standoff continues this morning.
The incident started yesterday afternoon with reported shots fired and Scotts Bluff Sheriff deputies pursued a suspect who entered a home with children inside according to Gering Police. The suspect released the children around 5:25 pm.
Due to the situation happening in a nearby neighborhood of Gering High School, Gering Public Schools went on lockdown which later transitioned to a controlled release for Geil and Lincoln, as well as the Gering Junior High School. Sometime after 5 pm, Gering High initiated a control release. All after school activities were cancelled.
Yesterday, the Ogallala volleyball team was scheduled to take on the Gering Bulldogs at 6 pm mountain time. Due to the lockdown, the volleyball team was safe inside the school. Ogallala public schools posted on Facebook that the matches were cancelled, and the volleyball team had safely loaded up the bus and headed back to Ogallala.
Gering Public Schools has cancelled all classes for today. District Officials have released the following statement: Out of an abundance of caution and because the stand-off incident near Gering High School still remains active, Gering Public Schools is canceling school for all buildings Wednesday, September 27th. The safety of our staff and students is priority and we encourage families to respect the areas and boundaries marked by law enforcement. We will make an early afternoon decision regarding after-school activity practices based on continued evaluation and communication with law enforcement and update families accordingly.
The situation is ongoing in Gering at this time and more information will be released when available.