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

active shooter drills

Examples of active shooter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The man arrested at Miami International Airport after chaotic reports of an active shooter Wednesday afternoon was firing toward the crowded terminal before he was detained by deputies, according to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrest report. — David Goodhue, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026

Lockdown and active shooter simulations look and feel very different, though people often lump the two practices together. — Emily Greene-Colozzi, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026

Reacher and Green run into a hotel and persuade the staff to lock the doors, claiming there’s an active shooter outside. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026

We were inducted into adolescence through active shooter drills and exit-route scans, carrying the unique anxiety of a youth caught in the crosshairs of a national crisis. — Brittany Berlin, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for active shooter

• microcomputer
• minicomputer
• supercomputer
• commuter
• computer
• polluter
• recruiter
• neuter
• pewter
• router
• scooter
• suitor