ADDILYN “ADDI” SMITH: THE CHEERLEADER WHO NEVER MADE IT TO HER FINAL COMPETITION

LAS VEGAS — Addilyn “Addi” Smith was an 11-year-old girl from Utah who loved cheerleading and was looking forward to a weekend competition in Las Vegas.

Instead of stepping onto the competition floor, Addi became the center of a heartbreaking case that has continued to draw attention after newly released investigative and medical records revealed more details about her final hours.

Addi had traveled to Las Vegas with her mother, 34-year-old Tawnia McGeehan, for the cheerleading event in February 2026.

When Addi failed to appear with her team on February 15, concern quickly spread among coaches, teammates and family members.

Her father, Bradley Smith, contacted Las Vegas police and requested a welfare check after he was unable to reach his daughter or McGeehan. A coach and other members of the cheer community also contacted authorities.

THE WELFARE CHECK

Police went to the Rio Hotel & Casino, where Addi and her mother were staying.

Officers knocked repeatedly and called into the room but received no response. At the time, officers said they did not have enough information to enter the room without permission.

Concern continued to grow.

Later that afternoon, hotel security returned to the room and entered.

Inside, they found Addi and her mother.

Las Vegas authorities determined that Addi had been killed by her mother, who then died by suicide. Both deaths were ultimately attributed to gunshot wounds.

NEW RECORDS REVEAL MORE DETAILS

Months later, public records released by the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office provided additional information about what investigators found.

According to the newly released records, a handwritten warning had been left outside the hotel room. The note instructed anyone approaching the room to contact 911 because two people were inside.

Investigators also documented prescription medications and other substances in the room.

The medical examiner’s report showed that Addi had several substances in her system at the time of her death, including quetiapine, diphenhydramine and lorazepam.

The records add disturbing details to a case that initially began simply as a welfare check after an 11-year-old cheerleader failed to show up for her competition.

A GIRL WHO LOVED CHEERLEADING

Before the tragedy, Addi was known within Utah’s cheerleading community as a talented young athlete.

She competed with Utah Xtreme Cheer, and teammates and coaches remembered her as an important part of the team.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that cheerleading was a major part of Addi’s life and that she was one of 13 girls on her team.

For those who knew her, the case is not defined only by the circumstances of her death.

Addi was a daughter, teammate and friend — a young girl whose life revolved around family, friendships and the sport she loved.

Her teammates were expecting to see her at the competition that morning.

Instead, they were left waiting for a girl who would never walk onto the floor.

A FAMILY’S LONG CONFLICT

Records released after the tragedy also shed light on a lengthy custody dispute involving Addi’s parents.

Court documents reported by multiple outlets indicate that McGeehan and Addi’s father had been involved in a prolonged custody battle.

The dispute included allegations and court proceedings concerning parenting and custody arrangements. By 2024, the parents had reached an agreement providing for joint custody.

Those records provide background to the family circumstances but do not change the central fact of what happened in the Las Vegas hotel.

REMEMBERING ADDI

The tragedy shocked Utah’s cheerleading community, where Addi had spent years developing her skills and friendships.

Her team and other cheer organizations shared tributes following her death, remembering a young athlete whose life had been centered around the sport she loved.

Newly released records may answer some questions about what happened inside the hotel room, but they cannot capture who Addi was to the people who knew her.

She was more than a name in an investigation.

She was an 11-year-old girl with dreams, teammates, family and a passion for cheerleading.

And for those who loved her, that is how Addi Smith will be remembered.