A college baseball player is shot when he answers his door
In the early morning hours of September 25, 2003, the life of Michael Ryan Snapp, a 19-year-old white male, was tragically cut short. A student and promising third baseman for the Virginia Wesleyan College baseball team, Snapp was in his apartment in the North Beach complex in Virginia Beach, Virginia, when a knock came at his door at approximately 2:30 a.m. It is believed that when he opened the door, he was met with gunfire.
Police and rescue personnel arrived at the scene in the 4600 block of Downeast Court to find Snapp lying just inside the doorway of his apartment, suffering from a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The sudden and violent nature of his death sent shockwaves through the college community and his hometown of Newport News. Friends and family were left to grapple with the loss of a young man with a bright future, just three days shy of his 20th birthday.
The Virginia Beach Police Department immediately launched an investigation into the homicide. Despite their efforts, a suspect or suspects were never publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in the case. The motive for the shooting remains unclear. The case eventually went cold, leaving a lingering sense of injustice and unanswered questions for Snapp's loved ones.
Years later, the investigation into Michael Ryan Snapp's murder remains open and is now in the hands of the Virginia Beach Police Department's Cold Case Homicide Unit. Law enforcement officials continue to appeal to the public for any information that might lead to a breakthrough in the case. They hold onto the belief that someone, somewhere has knowledge that could finally bring closure to a family still mourning the senseless loss of their son and brother.
