A Utah mother fatally shot her 11-year-old daughter inside a Las Vegas hotel room before taking her own life, police say – a heartbreaking murder-suicide that unfolded as the child was set to compete in a cheer competition.
On February 16, an online user went on Tawnia McGeehan’s Facebook page and added a comment to her most recent post – funeral information for her father, who died in April 2025.
“Where are you and your sweet daughter? I hope y’all are safe,” Heather Weaver wrote in the comment section of the post that included an image of Addilyn “Addi” Smith, 11, visiting her grandfather after a cheer competition in Las Vegas where she placed first.
Responding, another netizen wrote: “She murdered her daughter then turned the gun on herself. They were found in her hotel room. So sad.”
Missed cheer event
One day before, on February 15, about 10:45 a.m., Las Vegas Metropolitan Police (LVMP) responded to a welfare check at the Rio Hotel & Casino involving a mother and her daughter, who were reported missing by Utah Xtreme Cheer.
McGeehan, 38, and Addi had traveled from Utah for the cheerleading competition, but when the girl – the “hype man on the team” – failed to arrive at the event, concern started to spread.
“Officers knocked on the door and called into the room several times but did not get a response. Based on the details at the time, there was no belief that either was in danger and officers cleared,” LVMP explained in a press release.
After police initially left the scene, concern reportedly continued to grow.
Mom shot daughter before shooting herself
According to authorities, hotel security kept receiving calls from worried family and team members, begging staff to check on the mother-daughter duo.
Acting on those renewed requests, security made the decision to enter the room about 2:27 p.m.
Once inside the room, ABC4 reports that security discovered the bodies of McGeehan and Addi, “both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds,” LVMP reported, adding that “Both were pronounced deceased at the scene.”
“Based on the preliminary evidence at the scene,” police said, “detectives were able to determine the mother shot her daughter before shooting herself.”
‘Completely heartbroken’
The news has left an especially deep wound within Utah Xtreme Cheer, the Salt Lake City-based team Addi proudly represented.
“With the heaviest hearts, we share the devastating news that our sweet athlete Addi has passed away,” the organization wrote 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. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers and continue to send them love as they navigate this unimaginable loss.”
Those who knew Addi describe her as full of energy – a young girl who had dedicated hours to perfecting routines, building friendships, and chasing the joy that comes from performing under bright competition lights.
‘Love and miss you so much, Addi’
Instead of hearing her name announced on a competition floor, teammates and coaches are now sharing tributes.
Kory Uyetake, Gym owner for Utah Xtreme Cheer, described Addi as “kind of a hype man on the team.”
“She was always the person to get up there and get the kids pumped up when things weren’t really going their way. She was kind of that positive influence that the team needed always willing to be a leader,” Uyetake told ABC4. “She was an athlete that just embodied everything that we that we strive to have and we strive to do and teach our kids at my gym.”
One mother, whose daughter was one of Addi’s “closest friends,” shared a heartbreaking tribute on Facebook: “Life is so fragile, and our children even more so. Adult decisions should always be made with the best interest of our kids at heart,” Ashley Glass wrote. “Addi was the sweetest girl, daughter, sister, granddaughter, best friend, and sweet angel on earth is now an angel in heaven. We love and miss you so much, Addi.”
Custody dispute
A GoFundMe page created by a family member to help cover funeral costs describes the shock now surrounding the family.
“This heartbreaking event has left the family in deep shock and grief, struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of Addi in such a way. In the midst of this tragedy, we are reaching out to the community to help Brad and his family navigate the difficult days ahead,” the fundraiser explains of the donations intended to help Addi’s father, Brad Smith.
Court records indicate McGeehan had reportedly been involved in a custody dispute with Smith, her ex-husband, in Utah. However, investigators have not confirmed whether that situation played any role in what happened. Authorities continue to stress that the motive remains under investigation.
Officials have not released further details about the note found at the scene.
