Delaware Trooper Ty Snook Gave His Life Protecting Others. Let’s Show Up For His Wife And Daughter.
Delaware Online - Delaware State Police have identified the trooper who was shot and killed at a DMV south of Wilmington on Dec. 23 as Cpl. Grade One Matthew T. "Ty" Snook, a 34-year-old man from Hockessin.
Snook, who went by Ty or Tyler, was working an overtime assignment behind a reception desk when a 44-year-old man entered the DMV, made his way to the desk and shot Snook, according to state police spokesperson Cpl. Raushan Rich. The shooting happened around 2 p.m. at the DMV on Hessler Boulevard near New Castle.
Snook and the gunman were taken to a hospital, where they died. Three others, including another officer, were injured.
Rich said Snook pushed a DMV worker out of the way of gunfire and was shot twice. A New Castle County police officer confronted the shooter and shot him, Rich said. Police have not publicly identified the shooter. All Delaware DMVs remain closed until Dec. 29.
Snook "was a respected colleague, a trusted partner and a beloved member of both the Delaware State Police and the community he served,'' according to a state police statement that said he was assigned to Troop 6 in Prices Corner.
Gov. Matt Meyer and other state officials addressed Snook's death at a press conference the evening of Dec. 23. Snook had been an officer with state police for 10 years.
"His last actions were that of a hero," state police Col. William Crotty said. "A hero who saved lives today while sacrificing his own."
Snook has two siblings, Kassi and Josh, who also wrestled at Saint Mark's and Maryland. He and his wife, Lauren, recently married and had their first child. He is also survived by his parents, Karen and Matt.
Delaware State Trooper Cpl. Matthew “Ty” Snook was working an overtime assignment at a DMV when a man walked in and shot him behind the desk. In the middle of chaos, with civilians right there in front of him, Snook reportedly pushed a DMV worker out of the line of fire. He was shot twice. And sadly, he later died. He leaves behind a wife and a 1-year-old daughter.
Police go to work knowing that any random Tuesday, any random building, any random interaction can turn into the worst day of their lives. But they still show up. And they still do it.
And in Ty Snook’s final moments, he did what the best of them do. He protected someone who needed protecting.
Dave tweeted about it and immediately did what he always does.
No hesitation, no “let’s see,” no waiting for the internet to tell him what the right move is.
He stepped up for the Snook family, 100% of proceeds going directly to them, and he’s matching 100%.
We’re already over half a million dollars raised, which is incredible, but if there’s ever a time to keep our foot on the gas, it’s when a young family just had their entire future ripped out from under them.
So here’s the deal- if you can donate, donate. If you can buy a shirt, buy a shirt. If you can’t do either, share the link and say a prayer for Ty Snook’s wife and little girl, because they are living in a nightmare right now.
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And as if this story couldn't get any more tragic, Officer Snook really was one of the good ones. In his free time, he gave back by coaching youth wrestling clinics. The same clinics he started wrestling at when he was 11-years old.
Snook, a Bear native, graduated from the police academy in 2015. Before then, he was an accomplished wrestler at Saint Mark's and the University of Maryland.
As a senior in 2009, Snook won the individual wrestling state championship at 171 pounds and Saint Mark's won the Division I dual team championship. He earned a scholarship to Maryland where he wrestled more than 90 matches from 2009-14.
He also coached youth clinics at Tyrant Wrestling, a club he started wrestling with as an 11-year-old when it was founded in 2002.
Teammates and coaches remember Snook as a quiet but effective leader whose work ethic inspired others.
"He meant the world to me," said Jay Bastianelli, head coach of Saint Mark's wrestling from 2003-10 and the current principal of Newark Charter High School. "He was a leader because he always did the right thing."
"He is a guy who gases people up," former Saint Mark's teammate and current Iowa assistant wrestling coach Bobby Telford said. "He makes everyone else around him better."
Rest in peace, Ty. And God bless the Snook family.