PROVO — The 11-year old Utah girl killed by her mother before the woman killed herself, according to police, had been at the center of a long custody dispute between her parents before court records show it was settled in 2024 after more than nine years.

Authorities haven’t yet provided any public explanation for the violence, discovered Sunday, that unfolded in the Las Vegas hotel room. The records from 4th District Court in Provo, though, suggest a measure of tumult in the family, at least with regard to the relationship between Tawnia McGeehan, the girl’s mother, and her former husband, Bradley Smith, the girl’s dad.

McGeehan shot and killed her daughter, Addi Smith, 11, before shooting and killing herself, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement on Monday. The incident occurred in a hotel room in Las Vegas, where McGeehan and her daughter had traveled from Utah for a cheer competition.

Messages of sorrow followed news of the incident, and they continue. The girl’s uncle — the brother of her father — works for the Salem Police Department in Utah County, and the department issued a statement on Facebook about the tragic turn of events. “While the details of this loss are difficult to process, we are coming together as a department to support Sgt. (Greg) Smith and his family during this unimaginable time,” reads the statement.

Likewise, a GoFundMe* fundraising account created by Greg Smith to assist with funeral expenses and to support his brother laments the events. “This heartbreaking event has left the family in deep shock and grief, struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of Addi in such a way,” it reads.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department offered no new information Tuesday, saying the matter is still under investigation. The New York Post, citing McGeehan’s mother, Connie McGeehan, reported Tuesday that the younger McGeehan had struggled with depression and that the woman had had some sort of tiff with other parents on her daughter’s cheer team, Utah Xtreme Cheer.

The court records in the couple’s divorce, meanwhile, offer a glimpse into the seeming discord between Addi’s parents, at least as of 2024. McGeehan filed for divorce from Bradley Smith on Jan. 29, 2015, and the split was finalized in 2017. The back and forth over custody of Addi continued for several years, resulting in a May 7, 2024, order modifying the divorce decree and outlining a long list of rules Addi’s parents were to follow in caring for her.

Among the objectives of the rules were minimizing “the child’s exposure to harmful parental conflict,” the order reads. It states that each parent was to encourage a positive relationship between the girl and the other parent.

“Each parent shall speak positively of the other parent in the presence of the child and shall refrain from denigrating or criticizing him or her in the child’s conscious presence or discussing these legal proceedings with the child,” reads the order. “The parties shall refrain from any conduct reasonably calculated to diminish the natural love and affection the child had toward each parent or the other parent’s spouse or significant other.”

The decree had awarded the two parents joint custody and offered specific rules governing the handing off of Addi from one parent to the other. The exchanges were to take place at Addi’s school when in session and at the Herriman Police Department when out of session. “The parties are to park five parking stalls away from one another and A.S. will walk herself to the receiving parents’ car. Neither party is to videotape the child’s exchanges,” the rules read.

Both parents had the right to attend Addi’s school events and other activities. But they were to avoid interacting with one another. “That in attending those events, neither party will approach the other party. The parent bringing A.S. will allow A.S. to see and speak to the other parent for a reasonable period of time,” read the guidelines.

Utah Xtreme Cheer, the West Jordan entity where Addi trained in cheer events, issued a statement Sunday lamenting the girl’s death. “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,” reads the statement.

Likewise, residents in the West Jordan neighborhood where the girl lived at least part of the time tied blue ribbons around trees to remember her.

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — More than a thousand Utahns woke up without power across the state as strong winds and stormy weather moved in.

Around 5:30 a.m., Rocky Mountain Power’s outage map reported nearly 1,800 customers throughout the state had lost power. A majority of those were centered in the Salt Lake valley, where power outages were reported in Murray, West Valley, Holladay and Cottonwood Heights, among others.

Other power outages were reported in Vernal, Brigham City, La Sal and Enterprise.

The main outages were attributed to strong winds, according to Rocky Mountain Power.

The National Weather Service said strong winds with gusts hitting above 60 miles per hour were expected throughout Utah as winter weather rolled into the state. Winds were mainly forecasted to impact the southwest and west desert, including the Tooele County area, where more than 13,700 Rocky Mountain Power customers lost power on Monday night.

The power company restored the power outage in Tooele County around 1 a.m. on Tuesday.

Rocky Mountain Power estimated the remaining outages throughout the state could be restored before 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday as crews continue to make repaires to the network.

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SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The Utah cheerleading community mourns the passing of Addi Smith, who has been confirmed by her coach as the young girl killed in Las Vegas while attending a cheerleading competition.

Las Vegas Metro Police said in a press release that this event is being investigated as a murder-suicide. They said a mother shot her daughter and then herself. Police did not release the names of the victims. Social media users, family members and both current and former coaches identified Addi as the victim, and her mother, Tawnia McGeegan, as the other deceased.

In a press release, Kori Uyetake, owner of Utah Xtreme Cheer, said:

“With the heaviest hearts, we share the devastating news that our sweet athlete Addi has passed away. 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. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers and continue to send them love as they navigate this unimaginable loss. We ask that you respect their privacy during this time. Addi, we love you tremendously.”

MORE | Addi Smith

Members of the Utah Xtreme Cheer team were in Las Vegas for the JAMZ National Cheer Competition.

Uyetake, who was at another competition at the time, told 2News that when Addi did not show up to the competition on Sunday morning, they began to get worried, but did not imagine this would be the outcome.

The cheer studio put out a missing persons flyer on social media, asking for the community’s help.

Police in West Jordan told 2News they were contacted by Las Vegas police for an agency assist to search for the missing mother and daughter.

At 2:37 p.m. PT, Las Vegas police entered the hotel room and found two unresponsive females suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

The competition, which continued Monday, started the final day by honoring Addi with a moment of silence.

Jeff Krapf, the event’s host, led the room with a speech, reminding the audience to “think of her smile, the kind that showed up before the music even started. The kind that made practices lighter, competitions like this brighter. The kind that reminded all of us why we fell in love with the sport in the first place.”

Fusion All-Star Cheer, a cheerleading team Addi was formerly a member of, shared its own statement on Facebook, saying:

“We are completely heartbroken by the loss of our former athlete Addi. She was absolutely loved in our gym and it was a privilege to be a part of her life. She will always be remembered for her sweet smile and light that she brought to her teams and to our gym.”

Members of the cheerleading community across the country shared their shock and condolences online, many remarking on how tight-knit cheer teams are and how Addi’s passing will affect many young athletes.

A GoFundMe has been started by Addi’s uncle to help support her family and cover funeral expenses.

“This heartbreaking event has left the family in deep shock and grief, struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of Addi in such a way. In the midst of this tragedy, we are reaching out to the community to help Brad and his family navigate the difficult days ahead.”

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