Cherie Lash-Rhoades and the 2014 Cedarville Rancheria Massacre
Background
Cherie Lash-Rhoades was a former chairperson of the Cedarville Rancheria, a federally recognized Northern Paiute tribe in Modoc County, California. On February 20, 2014, the 44-year-old carried out a mass shooting inside the tribe’s administrative office at 300 West First Street in Alturas, California. Four people were killed and two others were seriously wounded.
The attack occurred during a meeting concerning Lash-Rhoades and her adult son, who were facing possible eviction from tribal housing. Lash-Rhoades had previously been removed from her leadership position amid an increasingly bitter dispute over tribal government, housing and money. Authorities said she was also under investigation concerning tens of thousands of dollars in allegedly missing tribal funds.
The Tribal Eviction Meeting
Members of the Cedarville Rancheria gathered at the tribal office on the afternoon of February 20, 2014. The meeting was intended to address whether Lash-Rhoades and her son should be removed from tribal housing. Several of the people in the room were members of her own family, illustrating how deeply the dispute had divided the small tribal community.
During the meeting, Lash-Rhoades suddenly produced a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and began firing at the people seated around her. Witnesses described a rapid and chaotic attack inside the relatively small office. She reportedly moved around the room while shooting specific people at close range.
Six people were struck by gunfire. Four suffered fatal wounds, while two others survived despite being seriously injured. Lash-Rhoades continued attacking even after her firearm ran out of ammunition.
The Knife Attack and Arrest
After exhausting the ammunition in her handgun, Lash-Rhoades went into the office kitchen and obtained a large butcher knife. She then attacked at least one of the wounded survivors with the knife. Reports indicated that the victim had already been shot before being stabbed.
People outside the office heard the gunfire and called law enforcement. Alturas police officers and other emergency personnel rushed to the building. Lash-Rhoades eventually emerged from the office while still carrying the knife. Officers confronted her and took her into custody outside the building.
Police secured the handgun and knife as evidence. Emergency responders entered the office and found multiple victims throughout the meeting area. Four people were pronounced dead, while the two survivors were transported for emergency medical treatment.
Victims Killed
- Rurik Davis, 50 – Killed on February 20, 2014, inside the Cedarville Rancheria Tribal Office at 300 West First Street in Alturas, California. Davis was Lash-Rhoades’ brother and a member of the Cedarville Rancheria.
- Angel Penn, 19 – Killed on February 20, 2014, inside the tribal office in Alturas. Penn was Lash-Rhoades’ niece and was among the youngest people attending the meeting.
- Glenn Calonicco, 30 – Killed on February 20, 2014, inside the Cedarville Rancheria office. Calonicco was Lash-Rhoades’ nephew and another member of her extended family.
- Sheila Lynn Russo, 47 – Killed on February 20, 2014, inside the tribal office in Alturas. Russo served as the Cedarville Rancheria’s tribal administrator and was the mother of two children.
The Surviving Victims
Two other people were wounded during the attack. Both were struck by gunfire, and at least one was also stabbed after Lash-Rhoades retrieved the butcher knife. They survived after receiving emergency medical treatment. Their injuries and testimony later became important evidence in the prosecution.
The violence left an especially severe impact because the Cedarville Rancheria was a small and closely connected community. Many of those involved were relatives, tribal officials or both. The killings therefore represented not only a mass shooting but also the destruction of several branches of one extended family.
Investigation and Alleged Motive
Investigators concluded that the immediate catalyst for the shooting was the eviction proceeding involving Lash-Rhoades and her son. The meeting occurred against a larger background of disputes concerning tribal leadership, finances and control of tribal property.
Prosecutors maintained that Lash-Rhoades entered the meeting armed and deliberately shot the people she blamed for her removal from power and threatened loss of housing. Her history as tribal chairperson, her conflict with other members and the presence of a loaded handgun were presented as evidence that the massacre was intentional rather than a spontaneous act of self-defense.
Authorities also examined allegations that more than $50,000 in tribal money was missing or improperly handled while Lash-Rhoades held office. Although financial and political disputes formed part of the background, the criminal trial centered on the four murders and the attacks on the two surviving victims.
Criminal Charges
Lash-Rhoades was charged with four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and related firearm and assault offenses. Prosecutors sought the death penalty, arguing that the multiple killings and the calculated nature of the attack made the case eligible for capital punishment under California law.
She entered pleas of not guilty. Her defense attorneys challenged the prosecution’s interpretation of her mental state and attempted to persuade jurors that circumstances surrounding the tribal dispute should be considered when determining her level of criminal responsibility.
Trial and Conviction
Lash-Rhoades went on trial in Modoc County Superior Court in late 2016. Survivors and other witnesses described the meeting, the sudden eruption of gunfire and the subsequent knife attack. Physical evidence included the 9mm handgun, spent cartridge casings, the butcher knife and forensic evidence documenting the locations and injuries of the victims.
Prosecutors portrayed Lash-Rhoades as angry over the loss of her position and the possibility that she and her son would be evicted. They argued that she armed herself in advance and attacked unarmed people who had assembled for an official tribal proceeding.
The jury rejected the defense arguments and convicted Lash-Rhoades of murdering Rurik Davis, Angel Penn, Glenn Calonicco and Sheila Lynn Russo. She was also convicted of attempting to murder the two people who survived the assault.
Death Sentence
After finding Lash-Rhoades guilty, the jury considered whether she should receive life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. Prosecutors emphasized the number of victims, the close-range shootings and her decision to continue the violence with a knife after her handgun was empty.
The jury recommended a death sentence. In April 2017, the trial court imposed capital punishment for the four murders, along with additional sentences for the attempted murders and related offenses. Lash-Rhoades was subsequently transferred to the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, which houses California’s condemned female prisoners.
Impact on the Cedarville Rancheria
The massacre devastated the Cedarville Rancheria and the surrounding Alturas community. Four people were lost in a matter of minutes, including the tribe’s administrator and three members of Lash-Rhoades’ own family. The killings intensified existing divisions while leaving surviving relatives to grieve people on opposing sides of the earlier political dispute.
The February 20, 2014, attack remains one of the deadliest incidents in Modoc County history. It also stands as a rare case in which a woman committed a public mass shooting and was later sentenced to death. The Cedarville Rancheria massacre demonstrated how a prolonged conflict involving family relationships, tribal politics, housing and financial allegations could escalate into an extraordinary act of violence.
