ALTURAS, CALIFORNIA — Tragedy hit a small American Indian headquarters on Thursday afternoon, February 20, 2014, which left four people dead and two others injured at the Cedarville Rancheria Tribal Office and Community Center.

The former tribal chairperson, Cherie Rhoades, 44, was taken into custody by Alturas Police. She will be charged with murder and other charges.

Rhoades allegedly opened fire around 3:30 p.m. – PST during an eviction hearing being held at the tribal headquarters. She shot four women and two men. Two women, ages 19 and 45, were killed and two men were 30 and 50.

Two others victims were listed in critical condition at press time.

Reportedly, Rhoades went through bullets to the gun she used to commit the killings, then grabbed a butcher knife to stab one of the victims.

The shooting rampage happened during an eviction hearing on the house where Rhoades lives. She was at the eviction hearing with her 24-year old son.

Rhoades was still at the scene when Alturas police officers arrived and arrested her.

The Cedarville Rancheria is a federally recognized American Indian tribe. The tribe is part of the Northern Paiute people in Modoc County, California. The small tribe has about 30 members, according to federal government records. All tribal citizens are can trace their lineage back to the official census roll dated July 18, 1954.

While the tribal headquarters is located in Alturas, the actual 26-acre Cedarville Rancheria is some 20 east of Alturas.

Alturas is about 140 miles northeast of Redding, California, south of the Oregon border and west of the Nevada border.

Editor’s Note: Given the magnitude of this situtation and smallness of the tribe, there is information that will become available as the story unfolds. Native News Online will update.

UPDATED: This article was updated at 8:59 am, Friday, February 21, 2014.

Source: This article was re-publiched with the permission of Native News Online and its staff.