active shooter
noun
plural active shooters
: a person who is illegally using a firearm to kill or try to kill people especially in a public place : a person who is shooting at people
Stunned shoppers and mall employees initially mistook the sound of glass breaking for gunshots, leading to false rumors of an active shooter.—
Caitlin Antonios
Caitlin Antoniosactive shooter drills
Examples of active shooter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
My younger sister called me and said there was an active shooter at Jackie’s school.
—Michelle Tauber, Peoplemag, 24 May 2024
The idea for the active shooter kits came from one of the officers who was shot and injured that day: Officer Jack Blowers, Bokhari said.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 23 May 2024
Experts say the best response to an active shooter is a forceful one.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 22 May 2024
In its settlement, the city agreed to do a better job hiring qualified officers and providing appropriate training, including on the handling of active shooters.
—J. David Goodman, New York Times, 22 May 2024
In the case of active shooter situations, the source said, police used to wait for a larger force with sharpshooting expertise to assemble, but now move in more quickly to save those in danger.
—Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024
It is safely locked, so in the case of an active shooter the teacher has to get the key to unlock the gun.
—For The Carroll County Times, Baltimore Sun, 12 May 2024
In September 2022, Memphis saw a shocking active shooter attack in which a 19-year-old suspect, Ezekiel Kelly, was accused of driving around the city and livestreaming multiple shootings in a rampage that killed four and injured three.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 7 May 2024
Parents waiting to reunify with their children expressed fear at hearing of an active shooter at the school in addition to the loss of a sense of security.
—Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 4 May 2024
Michelle Tauber, Peoplemag, 24 May 2024
The idea for the active shooter kits came from one of the officers who was shot and injured that day: Officer Jack Blowers, Bokhari said.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 23 May 2024
Experts say the best response to an active shooter is a forceful one.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 22 May 2024
In its settlement, the city agreed to do a better job hiring qualified officers and providing appropriate training, including on the handling of active shooters.
—J. David Goodman, New York Times, 22 May 2024
In the case of active shooter situations, the source said, police used to wait for a larger force with sharpshooting expertise to assemble, but now move in more quickly to save those in danger.
—Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024
It is safely locked, so in the case of an active shooter the teacher has to get the key to unlock the gun.
—For The Carroll County Times, Baltimore Sun, 12 May 2024
In September 2022, Memphis saw a shocking active shooter attack in which a 19-year-old suspect, Ezekiel Kelly, was accused of driving around the city and livestreaming multiple shootings in a rampage that killed four and injured three.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 7 May 2024
Parents waiting to reunify with their children expressed fear at hearing of an active shooter at the school in addition to the loss of a sense of security.
—Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 4 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'active shooter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near active shooter
Cite this Entry
“Active shooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/active%20shooter. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share