WILMINGTON, Del. — Corporal Matthew T. “Ty” Snook, a Delaware State Police trooper who was shot and killed at the Wilmington Division of Motor Vehicles office on Dec. 23, was the victim of a deliberate and targeted attack against law enforcement, state police said in a final investigative update Friday.
Police say the gunman, Rahman Rose, acted alone and had no prior relationship or interaction with Snook. Detectives found no evidence the attack was connected to any group or influenced by others.
Investigators said Rose had expressed beliefs that police were targeting him and had posted anti-police content online, including claims of being a victim of “gang stalking.” Authorities said Rose had limited, non-criminal contact with Delaware law enforcement in the year before the shooting and was legally permitted to possess the handgun he used, which he purchased in Connecticut in 2021.
According to police, Rose entered the Karen L. Johnson DMV facility in New Castle on Dec. 23, 2025, shortly before noon, left without conducting business, then returned just before 2 p.m. After obtaining a queue ticket, Rose waited several minutes before ambushing Snook from behind at the welcome desk, firing multiple shots through a glass partition.
Police said Snook shielded a DMV employee from gunfire before being struck again. Rose then allowed customers to leave the building and fired additional shots only at responding officers, investigators said, reinforcing that the attack was directed solely at law enforcement.
A New Castle County police officer shot and killed Rose through a window from outside the building. Both men were pronounced dead at a hospital.
Snook, a nine-year veteran of the Delaware State Police, was working an overtime assignment at the time and was remembered by officials for his life-saving action.
He is survived by his wife and their one-year-old daughter.
With the approval of Ty’s family, the DSP is sharing information regarding an official fund established to support his family. Information about the fund can be found at Help Support Corporal Grade One Snook’s Family | Help a Hero.