Las Vegas, NV – In a heartbreaking incident that has left the competitive cheerleading world reeling, 38-year-old Tawnia McGeehan and her 11-year-old daughter Addi Smith were discovered fatally shot inside their room at the Rio Hotel & Casino on Sunday, February [date approximated from reports as mid-February 2026], in what authorities have classified as an apparent murder-suicide.
The mother and daughter, hailing from West Jordan, Utah, had traveled to Las Vegas to participate in a cheerleading competition with Addi’s team, Utah Xtreme Cheer (UXC). The pair failed to appear for their scheduled routine on Sunday morning, prompting frantic concern from teammates and coaches. Utah Xtreme Cheer initially posted appeals on social media seeking help to locate them, describing the situation as urgent.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) responded to a welfare check request around 10:45 a.m. after the team reported the absence. Officers later secured the scene, and hotel security discovered the bodies around 2:27 p.m. Both victims suffered apparent gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide detectives determined that McGeehan shot her daughter before turning the firearm on herself.
The cheer community has been devastated by the loss. Utah Xtreme Cheer and other local teams, including Utah Fusion All-Stars (where Addi was a former athlete), have shared tributes mourning the bright young girl described as always happy, loving gymnastics, and passionate about her sport. “Addi has passed away,” the team posted in a somber update, extending condolences to the grieving family.
Adding layers of sorrow to the tragedy, relatives have revealed that McGeehan had been receiving “mean” text messages from other mothers on her daughter’s cheer team in the weeks leading up to the incident. According to McGeehan’s mother, Connie McGeehan, tensions escalated with “one or two” other parents whose daughters were also on the UXC team. Messages reportedly blamed Addi for issues within the group, including after another child withdrew from a recent competition.
“There’s one or two ladies that she never got along with and it got really bad a month ago,” Connie told reporters. “They were texting [Tawnia] mean stuff and blaming Addi. Cheer was her and Addi’s life. I think something happened the day before [they died] that made her spiral.”
Sources close to the team confirmed a recent confrontation between McGeehan and another mother in a waiting room. McGeehan had a history of struggling with depression, though family members noted she appeared to be “turning a corner” after resolving a nearly decade-long custody battle with Addi’s father in 2024.
A note was reportedly found in the hotel room, but its contents have not been publicly disclosed. No official motive has been released by investigators, and the case remains under active review.
This devastating event has sparked an outpouring of grief, with neighbors in West Jordan tying blue ribbons in support and the cheer community reflecting on the pressures of competitive youth sports. Friends and family remember Addi as a joyful presence who lit up any room.
Crime Vault Magazine extends deepest condolences to the family, friends, and the entire Utah cheer community during this unimaginable time of loss.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues or in crisis, please reach out for help. In the U.S., call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or visit 988lifeline.org.
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