Widow of DE State Police Corporal killed launches ‘Ty Snook Foundation’ for families behind the badge

HOCKESSIN, DE - For the first time since Delaware State Police Corporal Matthew "Ty" Snook was shot and killed in the line of duty, his widow Lauren is sharing how she is moving forward and honoring his legacy.

Remembering Corporal Snook’s life and sacrifice

What we know:

Corporal Snook, a 10-year veteran, was killed while working an overtime shift at the Wilmington DMV just two days before Christmas. 

He was studying for a promotional exam when police said he was shot by 44-year-old Rahman Rose. 

Snook pushed a DMV employee out of the way before being shot several more times.

What they're saying:

"He was such a protector, but he was also a lover," said Lauren Snook. "He just had this heart of gold and if you met him once, you felt like you had a best friend in him."

Lauren said her faith, support from others, and the presence of their one-year-old daughter, Letty, have helped her cope. 

"Raising Letty, she’ll always know that her dad was a hero," said Snook. "I think that she sees and feels things that we don’t, so in turn I’m learning my signs through her, and thank God he’s giving them," said Snook.

Lauren said Snook was always willing to step up, even in difficult situations. 

"He would never shy away from anything. He would always run towards it, and that was the overtime shift, a time that he never worked, and a location that he wasn’t really comfy working and still did it anyway to provide for his family," said Snook.

Lauren said, "I know it was the most cowardly way for someone to do this, and I’ve said it before, evil doesn’t get the final word."

Support for the Snook family and plans for the future

Lauren has received support from organizations like the Blue Line Network and Tunnel to Towers, which paid off the mortgage on her family’s home and included them in a reunion in Florida with other widows and children. 

"I know what the community did for me and Letty will always hear of it, but she needs a community of children that stand behind that badge, it’s a choice that they never had to make," said Snook.

Lauren is now working to launch the Ty Snook Foundation which will focus on building a community for families and children of law enforcement officers after loss, not just line of duty deaths. 

"I vowed to Ty immediately after this that I would find the blind spots, there was a blind spot that day that took him but we don’t end with that blind spot," said Snook.

The foundation’s website is now live for those who want updates as it officially gets started.

Lauren said, "He really was that great of a guy all the time, and I’m sorry that more people didn’t get to know him, but it’s my hope in the coming months, with launching this non-profit, that people will really get to see that legacy." 

She added, "We need to protect each other, and the community has shown me that we can build and do such amazing things, that it doesn’t end here, this is just the beginning."

Lauren continues to focus on honoring Ty’s memory and supporting others facing similar loss.