Mother Fatally Shoots Daughter at Cheer Competition Before Committing Suicide in Tragic Incident, Officials Report

In a tragic turn of events in Las Vegas, a mother and daughter visiting the city for a cheerleading competition were discovered deceased in their hotel room. Authorities have reported that the mother fatally shot her daughter before turning the gun on herself, marking this as a heartbreaking murder-suicide. The alarm was raised when the duo failed to attend a scheduled event, prompting concern from both family members and cheerleading officials.

“There was a note left,” according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Lt. Robert Price, who held a press conference on Sunday night to announce the deaths. “The mother shot her daughter and then shot herself,” Price said.

Police found the bodies of the mother and “pre-teen” — whose age was not immediately provided — while conducting a welfare check to try to locate a Utah woman identified in missing persons fliers as Tawnia McGeehan and her daughter Addi Smith, local CBS affiliate KLAS reports. Smith”s cheerleading team, Utah Xtreme Cheer, identified her on Facebook as being the daughter who was found dead.

The cheerleading community is reeling from the loss. “With the heaviest hearts, we share the devastating news that our sweet athlete Addi has passed away,” stated the Utah Xtreme Cheer team in a heartfelt Facebook post. “We are completely heartbroken. No words do the situation justice. … Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers and continue to send them love as they navigate this unimaginable loss.” The sentiment echoed across the cheerleading community, with condolences pouring in from teams nationwide. An owner from another team, Elevation Athletics, expressed, “There are no words that can make sense of a loss like this. Please know that your entire gym family is being lifted up in prayer by all of us here at Elevation Athletics.”

Details of the incident emerged as police spokesperson Price informed the media that a welfare check was initiated at approximately 10:45 a.m. on Sunday. Concerned parties had requested this check for McGeehan and Smith at the Rio Hotel & Casino, located at 3700 W. Flamingo Road. Officers, accompanied by hotel security, repeatedly knocked on the door and attempted to reach the room via the hotel phone, but received no response.

Initially, there appeared to be no immediate cause for alarm, leading police to conclude their visit. However, hotel security remained vigilant, continuing to gather details from family and friends who were desperately seeking the whereabouts of McGeehan and Smith. This persistence eventually led to the harrowing discovery.

Price told reporters that police received a welfare check call around 10:45 a.m. Sunday for McGeehan and Smith at a hotel room in the Rio Hotel & Casino located at 3700 W. Flamingo Road. Officers and security went up to the room and “knocked several times,” along with calling the hotel phone, but didn’t get any answer.

Police “cleared from the call” as nothing seemed “suspicious” at the time, according to Price, but security continued to get information from family and friends asking them to attempt to locate McGeehan and Smith.

“At approximately 2:30 p.m., security went back up to the room to attempt to locate the mother and child again,” Price explained. “They knocked several times. They also called into the room without success. At that point of time, security decided to make entry into the room, [and] when they entered the room, they located two deceased females.”

Before being found, missing persons fliers showing McGeehan and Smith smiling in a photo together were shared online by family and cheer officials.

“It appears that the mother and daughter came here … for a dance competition,” Price said, noting how they arrived on Saturday. Facebook posts by Utah Xtreme Cheer show Smith’s team competing Saturday on “Day 1” of the competition.

Price said that nobody in adjacent hotel rooms heard “any arguing or fighting” leading up to the discovery of the bodies. Asked about a possible motive, Price told reporters, “That’s still part of our investigation.”