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
Abdullah had previously worked in a nearby dental office, but after the 2019 massacre at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, he was inspired to switch focus and began to train himself on situational awareness and how to analyze an unfolding active shooter incident.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Mohammed added that the mosque has practiced active shooter drills before, but mainly in the case of a single gunman, not two.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 20 May 2026
As the officers deployed what Wahl described as an active shooter response at the mosque and at an adjacent school, more gunfire was reported blocks away, the chief said.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 19 May 2026
Over the weekend, at least five other zoos received either active shooter or bomb threats, CBS News affiliates report.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 18 May 2026
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Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Mohammed added that the mosque has practiced active shooter drills before, but mainly in the case of a single gunman, not two.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 20 May 2026
As the officers deployed what Wahl described as an active shooter response at the mosque and at an adjacent school, more gunfire was reported blocks away, the chief said.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 19 May 2026
Over the weekend, at least five other zoos received either active shooter or bomb threats, CBS News affiliates report.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 18 May 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 23 May. 2026.
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