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

active shooter drills

Examples of active shooter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Despite that, there is little research on the impact active shooter simulations have on students — or their efficacy in real-world applications. —

Avery Lotz, Axios, 17 Dec. 2024 Only one female was an active shooter in each year except for 2020, when there were three. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024 Other female active shooters include Jennifer San Marco, a former U.S. Postal employee who in January 2006 shot and killed six people at a mail processing and distribution center near Santa Barbara, California, after killing her neighbor, according to police. —

Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 17 Dec. 2024 The school called 911 at 1:08 p.m. to report an active shooter. —

Phil Helsel, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for active shooter

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of active shooter was in 1999

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Active shooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/active%20shooter. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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