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CITRUS HEIGHTS-

A mass shooting an an American Indian tribal office in Alturas is making waves in Citrus Heights.

“I’ve been sick since I found out. My daughter, she’s a wreck,” Marcia Duarte said.

Duarte’s daughter, Shalley went to school in Citrus Heights with the two survivors of Thursday’s gun and knife attack, Melissa and Monica Davis.

“The way we hear it is, she stabbed Melissa too, so she shot and stabbed her,” said Duarte.

FOX40 News brought you the story early Friday morning. Alturas Police Chief Ken Barnes told us the suspected shooter, 44-year-old Cherie Lash Rhoades shot four people to death in the Cedarville Rancheria tribal office. Later Friday, Chief Barnes confirmed three of the four killed were her close relatives. One of them was her own brother, 50-year-old Rurik Davis.

“I know they’re devastated because he was killed right in front of them by his own sister,” Duarte said.

Rurik Davis was Melissa and Monica’s father.

“It’s very tragic,” Jack Duran said. He is the lawyer representing Cedarville Rancheria.

Duran provided general council to the tiny tribe before the shooting. He worked closely with all of the tribal members, including the recently ousted Rhoades.

“I would say rough she was extremely rough around the edges,” Duran said.

Duran said Rhoades worked at a gas station called Rabitt Traxx in Alturas, along with one of the women she is accused of killing, 19-year-old Angel Penn.

“She had a very rough life. I think she was emancipated when she was very young, but she was on the right track. She made some really good strides to get her life back together,” Duran said.

One of the most gruesome details from the mass shooting, is that Penn’s five day old infant was found alive, under her dead body. Duran says her son’s name is Nicholas Penn, and that his mother died a hero.

“Yeah, his mother protected him from that, very tragic,” Duran said.

The other children in the tribal office which had within it a day care facility, were not so lucky. Duran says some of them walked in on the crime scene.

“Unfortunately some of the younger kids happened to have seen some things that were pretty horrible” said Duran.

Duran added that Cherie and her son had already been evicted from the tribe on Wednesday. He said the tribal members were at an appeals hearing for the eviction on Thursday when the shooting occurred.

“I know Monica got shot in the back side. She’s been upgraded in the hospital. I’m not sure about Melissa. She’s in pretty critical condition. Hopefully they’ll get thru this they need to know all their friends around here are pulling for them.,” said Duarte.

Cherie Lash Rhoades is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday. She faces charges of homicide, attempted murder, child endangerment and brandishing a weapon.