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
After the 1999 massacre, states enacted lockdown and active shooter drills, according to a report from the Federal School Safety Commission.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024
Research by the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Social Dynamics and Wellbeing Lab suggests an association between active shooter drills and increases in depression, stress and anxiety among students, parents and teachers.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
The conversation on a recent night turned to active shooter drills, because a few of our kids had just gone through one at each of their schools.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Exactly one year ago, Doral police officers participated in an extensive training session for a mass casualty active shooter drill at the same establishment where the shooting occurred, Lopez said.
—Sarah Dewberry, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Controlling active shooter simulations House Enrolled Act 1104 requires schools to provide accommodations for students during active shooter drills, such as prohibiting the use of simulation gunfire, prop firearms, simulation of gunshot wounds or requiring student participation.
—Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024
Firefighters are required to wear bulletproof vests on some calls, such as active shooter situations, Stidham said, but this call did not appear to warrant that level of protection.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
The violence was at first described as an active shooter incident, although there did not appear to be subsequent reports of shots fired.
—Colin Sheeley, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
An active shooter alert went out to all school parents, Keast said, noting James Crumbley went home to check for the gun.
—Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 7 Mar. 2024
Kerry Breen, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024
Research by the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Social Dynamics and Wellbeing Lab suggests an association between active shooter drills and increases in depression, stress and anxiety among students, parents and teachers.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
The conversation on a recent night turned to active shooter drills, because a few of our kids had just gone through one at each of their schools.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Exactly one year ago, Doral police officers participated in an extensive training session for a mass casualty active shooter drill at the same establishment where the shooting occurred, Lopez said.
—Sarah Dewberry, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Controlling active shooter simulations House Enrolled Act 1104 requires schools to provide accommodations for students during active shooter drills, such as prohibiting the use of simulation gunfire, prop firearms, simulation of gunshot wounds or requiring student participation.
—Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024
Firefighters are required to wear bulletproof vests on some calls, such as active shooter situations, Stidham said, but this call did not appear to warrant that level of protection.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024
The violence was at first described as an active shooter incident, although there did not appear to be subsequent reports of shots fired.
—Colin Sheeley, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
An active shooter alert went out to all school parents, Keast said, noting James Crumbley went home to check for the gun.
—Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 7 Mar. 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.
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Cite this Entry
“Active shooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/active%20shooter. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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