Las Vegas police confirmed Sunday that two lives were lost in a hotel room at the Rio Hotel & Casino after neither showed up for a cheerleading competition they had traveled for from Utah. Inside that room, officers found 38-year-old Tawnia McGeehan and her 11-year-old daughter, Addi Smith, both of whom were pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe the mother shot her daughter late Saturday night and then turned the gun on herself. A note was recovered in the room, but authorities have not released its contents.
Friends first raised concern when McGeehan and Addi failed to arrive for scheduled team activities on Sunday morning. Utah Xtreme Cheer teammates reached out to one another and family members, who then requested a welfare check from Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.
Officers and hotel security knocked on their hotel room door Sunday around 10:45 a.m., but there was no answer. Without enough information to force entry, police stepped back, leaving security to later try again after continued concern.
At about 2:30 p.m., hotel staff entered and made the grim discovery that neither mother nor daughter was alive. Police immediately treated the scene as a homicide investigation, with early evidence pointing to a murder followed by suicide. Lt. Robert Price of the LVMPD told reporters that this was a shocking and heartbreaking event for everyone involved.
Addi was described by her cheer squad as a bright presence who brought joy and energy to the team. Coaches and fellow athletes shared messages of sorrow, remembering her smile and participation in the sport she loved. Utah Xtreme Cheer posted that they were “completely heartbroken” and asked for privacy as the family navigated this unimaginable loss.
McGeehan was known among her circle as a devoted mother who cared deeply for her daughter. Their trip to Las Vegas was meant to be a weekend of celebration and competition. Instead, it ended in tragedy. Family and friends have been left struggling to make sense of the loss while they arrange funerals and gather support through fundraisers set up to assist with costs.
Investigators continue to look into the circumstances that led to this fatal outcome. The community in Utah and beyond has been shaken by the news, with many offering condolences and wrestling with the suddenness of such a devastating event.
