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Wildhorse Casino Gunman Pleads Guilty in Robbery, Shooting Case
Posted on: April 10, 2026, 11:47h.
Last updated on: April 13, 2026, 04:13h.
- Oregon man pleads guilty after violent casino robbery and police shootout
- Suspect claimed to be God and fired at officer, injuring bystander
- Mental health struggles and fentanyl use revealed in court documents
An Oregan man who threatened to “bathe everyone in blood” as he robbed the Wildhorse Resort and Casino on the Umatilla Indian Reservation has pled guilty to attempted murder, robbery, and illegally possessing a firearm.
During the robbery, Javier Francisco Vigil, 54, claimed to be God and shot at a responding Umatilla tribal police officer as he made his escape, injuring a bystander, according to court documents.
Vigil’s surprise guilty plea on April 7 came two days into his trial at Oregon District US Court.
Chilling Threat
On August 17, 2022, Vigil entered the casino wearing a baseball cap, gloves, and sunglasses. He walked up to the cage and handed the cashier a note demanding $1 million. Thinking it was a joke, the cashier laughed, prompting Vigil to pull out a pistol and issue his chilling threat.
Realizing he was serious, the cashier pulled $70K from a cash drawer while secretly activating the emergency alarm and placed the money in a clear plastic bag on the counter. Vigil exited the casino with the bag two minutes after entering.
Outside, he encountered a tribal police officer crouching behind a squad car and shot at him. The officer fired back, hitting Vigil. A Pendleton School District employee who was visiting the casino with colleagues for an event was caught in the crossfire.
Vigil was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was later arrested and formally charged. He told police he was allowed to rob the casino because he believed he was God. He also claimed he had deliberately avoided firing directly at the officer because he didn’t want to hurt him.
Mental Health Problems
Vigil’s family said he has faced ongoing mental health challenges for many years. Just before the shooting, he discontinued his prescribed mental health medication because it interfered with his fentanyl use, per court documents.
According to his defense, Vigil was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and manic episodes with psychotic features, and psychiatrists said he was unable to understand the wrongfulness of his actions. His attorneys had planned to use an insanity defense.
However, on the first day of proceedings, Judge Michael Mosman held a hearing in a sealed courtroom that determined he was competent to stand trial.
Vigil is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Oregon, he faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, three years of post-prison supervised release, and a fine of $250K.
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