Advertisement Deputies talk down young man threatening to kill himself due to fear, stress from COVID-19 Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The Lancaster County Sheriff shared a story Thursday that highlights the stressors brought on by the COVID-19 crisis. According to Sheriff Terry Wagner, a call came in around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday near West Agnew Road. A 25-year-old man with a shotgun was threatening to kill himself. The young man went into a tree line and a Nebraska State Patrol helicopter was called to the scene. Wagner said the young man had mental health issues before but was being brought to the brink by stress of the COVID-19 crisis. He said he was afraid of losing his job and not being able to pay his bills. Deputies were able to talk the man down and get him the help he needed. Wagner said the incident serves as an example of how COVID-19 is wearing on people. "There are a lot of people that have been able to maintain stable mental health conditions in the past, and now the COVID-19 issues have been the tipping point, where they just can't seem to handle the stressors that the pandemic is putting upon them like other folks have been able to do," he said. "These people are victims of COVID-19 just like the people who are being infected are."Wagner said mental health calls have gone up and urged people to check in on family and friends, especially on those who are afraid or experiencing financial strain. "As the issues compound with the social isolation...those kinds of things can put somebody over the top if they're experiencing mental health issues anyway," he said. If someone has suicidal thoughts, they can call the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-TALK or visit ASFP.org.