In what should have been a weekend of excitement and competition, 11-year-old Addi Smith, a Caucasian female, was found deceased in a Las Vegas hotel room on February 15, 2026. Addi, a resident of West Jordan, Utah, had traveled to Nevada with her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, to participate in a cheerleading competition. Concerns arose on Sunday morning when the mother and daughter failed to appear for the scheduled cheer event.
Addi's cheerleading team, Utah Xtreme Cheer, initiated a welfare check at the Rio Hotel & Casino after they could not be reached.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers, along with hotel security, responded to a request for a welfare check at the hotel around 10:45 a.m. After receiving no response from knocking on the door, and with no initial signs of distress, the officers left. However, as concerned family and friends continued to press for information, hotel security made entry into the room at approximately 2:30 p.m. Inside, they made the tragic discovery of both Addi and her mother, who were unresponsive with apparent gunshot wounds and pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation led by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department quickly pointed to a murder-suicide. Authorities believe that Tawnia McGeehan, 38, shot and killed her daughter Addi before taking her own life. Investigators estimate the time of death to have been sometime late on Saturday night. A note was found inside the room, though the contents have not been disclosed by officials. As the perpetrator, Tawnia McGeehan, died at the scene, no arrests were made in connection with Addi's death.
Further investigation into the family's background revealed a history of conflict. Court documents indicated a prolonged and bitter custody battle over Addi between Tawnia McGeehan and Addi's father, Brad Smith. Although a joint custody agreement had been reached in 2024, the documents detailed a tumultuous relationship between the parents. The cheerleading community and Addi's family expressed immense grief over the loss, remembering Addi as a beloved and sweet athlete.
