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
An emergency call about an active shooter in midtown Manhattan was made just before 6:30 p.m. ET on Monday, according to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Above the lobby, workers piled furniture against an office entrance, according to photographs posted on X.
At 6:28 p.m., the NYPD’s 911 call center started receiving alerts about an active shooter at 345 Park and sirens of emergency responders were soon blaring their way to the building.
—Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 29 July 2025
Police received multiple reports of an active shooter inside 345 Park Ave., a building that houses the NFL headquarters and offices of major financial firms, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 29 July 2025
Adams praised the building management's security measures, including having an armed security officer, emergency protocols and active shooter drills.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for active shooter
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Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Above the lobby, workers piled furniture against an office entrance, according to photographs posted on X.
At 6:28 p.m., the NYPD’s 911 call center started receiving alerts about an active shooter at 345 Park and sirens of emergency responders were soon blaring their way to the building.
—Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 29 July 2025
Police received multiple reports of an active shooter inside 345 Park Ave., a building that houses the NFL headquarters and offices of major financial firms, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 29 July 2025
Adams praised the building management's security measures, including having an armed security officer, emergency protocols and active shooter drills.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 29 July 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 3 Aug. 2025.
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