LAS VEGAS, Nevada — A young girl from Utah and her mother have died in an apparent murder-suicide while in Las Vegas for a cheerleading competition over the weekend.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police received a request for a welfare check on 11-year-old Addi Smith and her mom, 34-year-old Tawnia McGeehan, on Sunday around 10:45 a.m. A flyer shared by Utah Xtreme Cheer said they didn't show up to the competition that morning.
LVMPD officers and security at the Rio Hotel & Casino went to their room and knocked numerous times, but received no response. At that point, they felt there was not enough information to enter without permission.
Family and friends continued to request that Rio security check on them, so they went back around 2:30 p.m. After again receiving no answer at the door, security personnel decided to enter the room. There, they found both the girl and her mom deceased, then immediately called the police.
Officers responded and began a homicide investigation. They said it appeared that the mom shot and killed her daughter sometime Saturday night before turning the gun on herself.
WATCH: LVMPD Homicide Lt. Robert Price shares initial findings from the Rio
Police said there was a note left at the scene but did not share any of its contents.
Utah Xtreme Cheer shared the sad news of Addi's death in a Facebook post.
"We are completely heartbroken. No words do the situation justice. She was so beyond loved, and she will always be a part of the UXC family," the post read.
Utah Fusion All-Stars and Utah Cinderella Pageant also shared their condolences, saying Addi had participated in their programs.
The Salem Police Department said Addi was the niece of one of their own, Sgt. Smith.
"[We] are coming together as a department to support Sergeant Smith and his family during this unimaginable time," the department's Facebook post read.
Both Salem PD and the cheer team added that the family has requested privacy at this time.
Court records show that McGeehan had been involved in multiple legal disputes over the custody of her daughter.
Dating back to at least 2018, in separate cases filed in Sandy and West Jordan, she was charged with custodial interference allegations that she withheld Addi from her father's court-ordered visitation.
One case was dismissed in 2021, but records indicate custody arrangements shifted several times between the parents over the years.
__________
Resources for domestic violence victims/prevention (free, 24/7, confidential):
Utah Domestic Violence Coalition
- Hotline: 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- Online help: udvc.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline
- 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- Online live chat: thehotline.org
- If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or in an emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.
__________
For those struggling with thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can now be reached by simply dialing 988 any time for free support. Resources are also available online at utahsuicideprevention.org.
