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
Police worry, however, that a trend toward players ambushing others while wearing masks and camouflage and painting their weapons black to look real could cause concealed carry holders to feel threatened, perceive them as active shooters, and fire at the teens with real bullets.
—Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
When the alert went out about an active shooter at Florida State University, Jessica Ikner was on duty about two miles away at Raa Middle School.
—Kate Payne and Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
An active shooter was reported on Florida State University's campus in Tallahassee, according to an alert sent from the university.
—Arianna Otero, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
An active shooter was on campus, and their friend was hiding in the library.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for active shooter
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Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
When the alert went out about an active shooter at Florida State University, Jessica Ikner was on duty about two miles away at Raa Middle School.
—Kate Payne and Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
An active shooter was reported on Florida State University's campus in Tallahassee, according to an alert sent from the university.
—Arianna Otero, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
An active shooter was on campus, and their friend was hiding in the library.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 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 May. 2025.
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