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A tragic incident unfolded in a Las Vegas hotel room where a Utah mother and her daughter were discovered dead on Sunday afternoon, having missed a scheduled cheerleading competition earlier that day.
The initial call to Las Vegas police and security at the Rio Hotel & Casino came just before 11 a.m. for a welfare check, as reported by KSTU. Despite knocking, there was no response from the room. With continued concerns from family and friends, hotel personnel returned at about 2:30 p.m. and entered the room.
Inside, they discovered the bodies of Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan. The police began an investigation and later concluded that McGeehan allegedly shot Smith before taking her own life.
The duo had traveled to Las Vegas for a cheerleading event, as confirmed by Utah Xtreme Cheer.
“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 organization expressed in a heartfelt Facebook post.
Kory Uyetake, who owns the gym where Utah Xtreme Cheer works, described Addi Smith as “kind of a hype man on the team,” KTVX reported.
“She was always the person to get up there and get the kids pumped up when things weren’t really going their way,” Uyetake said. “She was kind of that positive influence that the team needed always willing to be a leader. 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.”
The cheer team said that the family had requested privacy.