Thousands of mourners filled an arena in Newark, Delaware, on Monday to honor Delaware State Police Cpl. Matthew “Ty” Snook, a devoted husband, father, and trooper whose life of service was remembered with grief, gratitude, and resolve.

Snook, 34, was killed two days before Christmas while working an overtime shift at a Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles office in Minquadale.

His Celebration of Life was held at the Bob Carpenter Center at the University of Delaware, where uniformed law enforcement officers from across the region joined family members, friends, and members of the public to pay their respects.

He was fatally shot when a gunman approached him while he was seated at the reception desk of the Minquadale DMV. Even after being shot, authorities say Snook pushed a DMV employee out of harm’s way as the suspect continued firing. The gunman was later shot and killed by a New Castle County police officer.

“He Was Not Defined by How He Died”

Snook’s wife, Lauren, delivered one of the most emotional moments of the service, reflecting on the future her husband had planned, and the legacy he leaves behind.

“He planned to come home, he planned a life, and when his life was taken, his legacy was not,” she said. “It lives in the way he loved and protected.”

Lauren told the crowd that her husband was ambushed while doing his job and “never got a chance to see what was coming,” but emphasized that he should be remembered for how he lived, not how he died.

“Ty was not defined by how he died, but by how he lived, how he loved,” she said.

State Leaders Praise His Sacrifice

Delaware Gov. Matthew Meyer called Snook’s death a loss felt across the entire state, telling the family their strength had not gone unnoticed.

“Today, right now as I speak to you, there are Delawareans who are alive, who are breathing, who are living, because Ty lived and because he served,” Meyer said, crediting Snook’s actions with saving lives.

Meyer also spoke about Snook’s path to law enforcement, saying he could have pursued many careers but deliberately chose service.

“He was pre-med. He could have done anything,” the governor said. “He chose to be a trooper.”

A Guardian to His Core

Joshua Bushweller, secretary of Delaware’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security, addressed Snook’s family directly, calling him a hero not just in death, but in life.

“Your daddy was a hero,” Bushweller said. “Not only in the way he gave his life, but in the way he lived it every single day.”

Turning to Lauren, he added, “Your husband was a guardian… his spirit will forever stay with the Delaware State Police.”