Mom shot preteen daughter and then herself before cheerleading tournament in Las Vegas, police say

LAS VEGAS (TCN) -- A 38-year-old woman shot her 11-year-old daughter in a casino hotel room before turning the gun on herself, authorities say.

KVVU reports police were called for a welfare check on Feb. 15 at about 10:45 a.m. after Addi Smith did not show up for a cheerleading tournament. She and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were visiting from Utah for the tournament. 

Police said officers “knocked several times, and they called into the room without any answer. At that point in time, without anything else and no other information and nothing else suspicious, those officers advised security, and they cleared from the call,” according to the outlet. 

There were more calls and social media posts attempting to locate Smith and her mother, and hotel security entered their room at 2:30 p.m. They found the pair deceased and dialed 911, according to KVVU. Homicide detectives said preliminary evidence at the scene showed McGeehan had shot Smith before turning the gun on herself, the outlet reports.

According to KLAS, police said the pair likely died the previous night. Police also confirm there was a note left behind but did not elaborate on its contents.  

McGeehan and her ex-husband, Brad Smith, had been involved in a custody dispute since their daughter was a toddler, according to court documents obtained by KVVU. McGeehan reportedly lost custody of Smith briefly in 2020 when the court determined she was trying to alienate the child from her father. Court documents also alleged McGeehan’s abilities to co-parent were in question and she committed domestic abuse in front of her daughter.

In 2021, McGeehan reportedly filed a restraining order against Addi Smith’s stepmother, alleging she was violating a court custody agreement by recording parent-time exchanges, KVVU reports. In 2024, a judge awarded McGeehan and Brad Smith joint physical custody.

The New York Post reports McGeehan had been having problems with some of the other parents and their daughters on the team, Utah Xtreme Cheer. McGeehan’s mother, Connie McGeehan, told the outlet, “There’s one or two ladies that she never got along with and it got really bad a month ago.” She also said her daughter had a history of depression. 

The New York Post reports that a source close to the team alleges McGeehan had recently been in a confrontation with another parent in a team waiting room, but the team owner said everything seemed normal before the competition.

Utah Xtreme Cheer said in a statement, “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,” KVVU reports.

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