A plea for assistance was made by a stepmother just before a young cheerleader was tragically shot by her mother while getting ready for a competition. McKennly Smith took to social media to raise awareness after Addi Smith disappeared, sharing a missing persons poster on Facebook pleading for any information. The poster depicted Addi and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, smiling in a photo with their last known location at the New York-New York Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they were expected to attend a cheerleading event but never showed up.
Concern arose when the mother-daughter duo failed to appear at the cheer competition, prompting members of the team to notify the authorities. Police visited their room at the Rio Hotel & Casino after no response was received from them. Despite initial checks indicating no immediate danger, family members persisted, leading to the discovery of both individuals deceased from gunshot wounds upon hotel security entering the room.
McGeehan, engaged in a custody battle with her ex-husband, left behind a suicide note, according to law enforcement officials. Addi, a member of Xtreme Cheer, received a heartfelt tribute from the organization following her untimely passing, expressing profound sorrow over the loss.
The Utah Xtreme Cheer community in Salt Lake City extended sympathies to the grieving family, acknowledging the profound anguish they were experiencing. A fundraising campaign via GoFundMe has been initiated to assist the family during this challenging period, as they navigate the aftermath of the devastating event.
The campaign highlighted the immense shock and grief the family is enduring and appealed for community support to aid them in the difficult days ahead. The initiative has already raised approximately $28,362 (£20,915) of the $45,000 (£32,850) target by Tuesday evening.
In times of emotional distress, individuals can seek support by contacting the Samaritans 24-hour helpline at 116 123, reaching out via email to jo@samaritans.org, visiting a Samaritans branch in person, or accessing their website for assistance.
