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

Police rushed to an Oregon elementary school Thursday after a report of an active shooter, urging the public to stay away as families were directed to a nearby church. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Law enforcement is always looking for place to conduct K-9 training, active shooter training, building search training. — Tara Molina, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026

Despite being entirely false, the officer who received the report was under the impression an active shooter situation was underway and acted accordingly. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

By the end of her second day, she has been thoroughly terrorized by an active shooter drill and her own menstrual cycle, both of come as a surprise. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 7 Oct. 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