A Corporal Grade One with the Delaware State Police for ten years and a former high school wrestler, Matthew T. “Ty” Snook, passed away from being shot twice by a gunman while he was working an overtime shift at the DMV on Hessler Boulevard near New Castle, Delaware, on the afternoon of December 23, 2025, at the age of 34.
Ty Snook is survived by his wife of a little over a year, Lauren Snook, and their daughter, Letty Snook. He and Lauren had tied the knot not long ago in August 2024.
From Hockessin, Delaware, Lauren owns LS Creative. She studied Cognitive Science/ Speech Pathology at the University of Delaware and graduated in 2017.
While the precise details of their relationship are unknown, the couple should’ve been dating since atleast 2014.
After a decade of dating, Ty proposed to Lauren on May 15, 2024.
The couple had their first child, daughter Letty, a year ago, and she had turned one a little over a month ago. However, now the happy family of three has turned upside down just before Christmas.
So far, Lauren hasn’t broken her silence on his tragic passing as she is grieving in private.
Nonetheless, the outpouring has been overwhelming. There have been dignified transfers, memorials, candlelight vigils planned, and flags lowered to half-staff across Delaware in his memory.
The Delaware State Troopers Association set up an official fund to support his family.
Barstool Sports got involved on Christmas Day, selling special T-shirts (one with the thin blue line over Delaware’s coat of arms and his name/rank, another with the thin blue line flag) with all proceeds going directly to Lauren and Letty.
Similarly, a friend named Randall Simons also started a GoFundMe to reach more people, emphasizing that donations could go straight through the state police if anyone preferred that route.
Besides his wife and daughter, Ty Snook also leaves behind his parents, Karen and Matt, brother Josh, sister Kassi, extended family, friends, and fellow officers from the Delaware State Police.
Speaking of the tragic incident, the 34-year-old Corporal Grade One with the Delaware State Police was working an overtime shift at the Karen L. Johnson Division of Motor Vehicles facility on Hessler Boulevard near New Castle, right in the Wilmington area.
He was stationed behind the reception desk when a 44-year-old man named Avery Young walked in and approached him. Without warning, Young opened fire, shooting Snook.
Even as he was hit, Ty managed to push a DMV employee out of the direct path of the gunfire, taking a second bullet in the process.
A responding officer from New Castle County arrived on scene and shot the suspect, who was later pronounced dead at the hospital, along with Ty.
Ty Snook had been with the Delaware State Police for ten solid years, starting back on March 6, 2015, as part of the 88th Recruit Class.
After finishing the academy and field training, he went straight to Troop 6 in Prices Corner, working C-shift the whole time.
Before becoming a trooper, Ty was an accomplished wrestler. He went to Saint Mark’s High School, where, as a senior in 2009, he won the individual state championship at 171 pounds, helping his team take the Division I dual team title that year too.
From there, he earned a scholarship to the University of Maryland and wrestled for the Terrapins, competing in more than 90 matches between 2009 and 2014.
He started young with Tyrant Wrestling as an 11-year-old back when the club began in 2002, and even later, he came back to coach youth clinics.
Ty gave contributions in every way possible, and now that he isn’t anymore feels surreal.
So far, details of Ty’s memorial and funeral services haven’t been published. During this difficult time, we pray for Ty’s wife, daughter, parents, siblings, extended family, colleagues, and friends.
Rest Easy, Ty Snook!
