A Quiet Morning, a Defining Moment
Nothing about that December morning suggested it would end in tragedy. Inside the Minquadale DMV, employees went about their work as usual—helping customers, answering questions, moving through the familiar rhythm of a routine day. No alarms sounded. No warnings came. And then, in an instant, everything changed.
What followed was not only an act of senseless violence, but a moment that revealed the character of Delaware State Police Corporal Matthew “Ty” Snook—a man whose final actions reflected a lifetime of service, courage, and devotion to others.
A State Gathers to Remember
On Monday, thousands of Delaware residents filled the Bob Carpenter Center at the University of Delaware in Newark to honor the life of Corporal Snook. The arena stood solemn as law enforcement officers from across the region joined family, friends, and community members to remember a trooper whose life was cut short just days before Christmas.
Snook, 34, was working an overtime security detail at the Division of Motor Vehicles when an armed suspect approached the reception desk and opened fire. Authorities say Snook was struck by gunfire but, even while wounded, managed to push a DMV employee out of harm’s way. The suspect was later killed by a New Castle County police officer.
“He Planned to Come Home”
The most emotional moments of the service came when Snook’s wife, Lauren, addressed the crowd. Speaking through grief, she reminded those gathered that her husband never expected that day to be his last.
“He planned a future,” she said. “He planned to come home.”
Lauren urged the audience to remember her husband not for the violence that took his life, but for the love, kindness, and strength that defined it.
“Ty should not be remembered for how he died,” she said. “He should be remembered for how he lived—and how he loved.”
Leaders Honor a Life of Purpose
Delaware Governor Matthew Meyer told the Snook family that their loss is shared by the entire state, noting that the trooper’s actions made a difference far beyond the DMV building.
“There are people alive today because Ty served,” the governor said.
Meyer also reflected on Snook’s journey, pointing out that he had once been on a path toward medicine before choosing law enforcement.
“He had options,” Meyer said. “But he chose to serve.”
Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security Joshua Bushweller echoed those sentiments, calling Snook a guardian in every sense of the word.
At dawn from the gateway to Mars, the launch of Starship’s second flight test pic.twitter.com/ffKnsVKwG4
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“Your daddy was a hero,” Bushweller said, addressing Snook’s young daughter. “Not just in how he died—but in how he lived.”
A Brother, a Mentor, a Father
Delaware State Police Superintendent Colonel William D. Crotty pledged that the agency would stand by Snook’s family forever.
“Ty Snook lived a life of purpose,” Crotty said. “He is our brother, and he will always be part of the Delaware State Police family.”
Captain Kerry Reinbold, commander of Troop 6, remembered Snook as both a skilled trooper and a deeply compassionate person. He spoke of Snook’s dedication to training recruits and mentoring younger officers, noting that more than 20 troopers benefited from his guidance.
Reinbold made a promise that resonated throughout the arena.
“His daughter now has over 700 aunts and uncles,” he said. “Through every milestone of her life—we will be there.”
Snook’s brother Josh, who served alongside him, shared the pain of losing not only a sibling but a partner in service.
“Our family lost its strongest piece,” he said.
A Life That Still Moves Forward
A native of Hockessin, Snook graduated from St. Mark’s High School and the University of Maryland, where he competed as a wrestler. A single ride-along experience shifted his career path from medicine to law enforcement, a decision that led to a decade of service with the Delaware State Police at Troop 6.
After the ceremony, a solemn procession carried Snook through Delaware streets as troopers stood at attention, saluting as an honor guard escorted him from the arena. He was laid to rest privately, surrounded by family.
Conclusion: More Than a Moment, a Legacy
Matthew “Ty” Snook’s story does not end at the Minquadale DMV. It continues in the lives he protected, the officers he mentored, the family he loved, and the promises made in his name.
His final act was one of instinctive courage—but it was built on a lifetime of choosing others over himself. In the quiet determination of those who now carry his memory forward, Snook’s legacy remains unbroken.
He did not simply serve Delaware.
He became part of its conscience.