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
Deputies responded to what was reportedly an active shooter situation at Lansing Mall, in the Lansing suburb of Waverly, on the night of Saturday, March 15, the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office said in a March 16 news release.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2025
On March 1, police descended upon Dallas’ Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, where the championship was holding its second day competitions, as a stampede of cheerleaders, coaches and parents ran fleeing from what many believed to be an active shooter situation.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 Mar. 2025
The incident was initially reported as an active shooter situation, but Torres said that turned out not to be the case.
—arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2025
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said that law enforcement found no sign of an active shooter and zero injuries at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, despite calls regarding multiple gunshots.
—Rachel Wolf, Fox News, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for active shooter
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.
Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2025
On March 1, police descended upon Dallas’ Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, where the championship was holding its second day competitions, as a stampede of cheerleaders, coaches and parents ran fleeing from what many believed to be an active shooter situation.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 Mar. 2025
The incident was initially reported as an active shooter situation, but Torres said that turned out not to be the case.
—arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2025
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said that law enforcement found no sign of an active shooter and zero injuries at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, despite calls regarding multiple gunshots.
—Rachel Wolf, Fox News, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for active shooter
Cite this Entry
“Active shooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/active%20shooter. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share