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
As if that wasn't enough, the hospital is also in lockdown due to an active shooter, as Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) explains in the heart-pounding promo.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
The call prompted an alert about an active shooter, which sent people running for cover on a day that included Mass, a resource fair and other back-to-school activities for students and their families.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
In practice, lockdown drills are synonymous with preparing for an active shooter or similarly serious threat of violence.
—James Densley, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026
And of course, thousands of American school children have gone through actual active shooter situations.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for active shooter
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Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
The call prompted an alert about an active shooter, which sent people running for cover on a day that included Mass, a resource fair and other back-to-school activities for students and their families.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
In practice, lockdown drills are synonymous with preparing for an active shooter or similarly serious threat of violence.
—James Densley, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026
And of course, thousands of American school children have gone through actual active shooter situations.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
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 2 May. 2026.
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