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A tragic incident unfolded in Las Vegas as a mother took the life of her young daughter before committing suicide in a hotel room, local authorities reported.
During a press briefing on Monday, Lt. Robert Price of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) stated that officers responded to a welfare check at the Rio Hotel & Casino around 10:45 a.m. on Sunday.
Upon arrival, officers spent approximately 15 to 20 minutes knocking on the door and calling out for the occupants. After receiving no response, they informed hotel security and left the scene.
Later, hotel security received more urgent requests from the family and friends of the mother and daughter, prompting them to make further efforts to locate the pair.
An image of the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, taken on November 11, 2025, shows the exterior of the building and its surrounding area. (Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service Via Getty Images)
At approximately 2:30 p.m., security went back up to the room, made entry and discovered both victims dead.
Price said the mother, believed to be in her mid-30s, and her pre-teen daughter had traveled to Las Vegas for a dance or cheer competition.Â
“The mother shot her daughter and then shot herself,” said Price. “This is a sad and tragic incident and our hearts go out to the family.”
The Las Vegas police department provided an update on an apparent murder-suicide at the Rio Hotel and Casino. (KTNV)
The homicide lieutenant stressed that the investigation remains ongoing, but told reporters a note was left behind. He declined to discuss its contents and said family members and the cheer teams had been notified.
Fox 13 Salt Lake City reported that LVMPD officials were unable to confirm whether the deaths are connected to a missing mother and daughter from Utah, identified as Tawnia McGeehan and Addi Smith. LVMPD did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Utah Xtreme Cheer, which had circulated information earlier in the day about the pair being missing, later posted on Facebook, “Addi has passed away.”
A mother and a daughter were found dead in a Las Vegas hotel in an apparent murder-suicide on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (Tawnia Hope McGeehan)
“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 group wrote. “Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers and continue to send them love as they navigate this unimaginable loss.”