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
In August 2025, a Villanova residence hall was evacuated after authorities were notified of an active shooter threat, which was later confirmed to be fake.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
According to the San Antonio Express-News, Gonzales had SWAT training and was the instructor for active shooter training for the Uvalde school district's police force.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
The prosecution’s case primarily relied on emotional accounts of the shooting from school employees, parents and police officers, as well as Gonzales’ own words and experts on active shooter response protocols.
—Matthew J. Friedman, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Parents and students have also said kids need cellphones so they can be reached in case of an emergency, like an active shooter situation, though school safety organizations have said students' use of cellphones could potentially decrease safety during a crisis.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
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Joe Brandt, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
According to the San Antonio Express-News, Gonzales had SWAT training and was the instructor for active shooter training for the Uvalde school district's police force.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
The prosecution’s case primarily relied on emotional accounts of the shooting from school employees, parents and police officers, as well as Gonzales’ own words and experts on active shooter response protocols.
—Matthew J. Friedman, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Parents and students have also said kids need cellphones so they can be reached in case of an emergency, like an active shooter situation, though school safety organizations have said students' use of cellphones could potentially decrease safety during a crisis.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 20 Jan. 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 30 Jan. 2026.
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