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
Examples include the bank robbery from a few years ago, the shooting at Kroger's and the active shooter on the overpass at Interstate 94 and Highway 67.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Colorado Springs officers responded to reports of an active shooter in the 1400 block of Potter Drive at about 10:12 p.m. Saturday, according to the police department.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 25 May 2025
When the alert went out of an active shooter at Florida State University, Jessica Ikner was on duty around 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away at Raa Middle School.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025
Despite the frequency of such incidents, universities continue to direct a massive amount of their safety budgets toward robust emergency notification systems (ENS) designed for active shooter events or widespread public safety threats.
—Kevin Mullins, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for active shooter
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Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Colorado Springs officers responded to reports of an active shooter in the 1400 block of Potter Drive at about 10:12 p.m. Saturday, according to the police department.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 25 May 2025
When the alert went out of an active shooter at Florida State University, Jessica Ikner was on duty around 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away at Raa Middle School.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2025
Despite the frequency of such incidents, universities continue to direct a massive amount of their safety budgets toward robust emergency notification systems (ENS) designed for active shooter events or widespread public safety threats.
—Kevin Mullins, Forbes.com, 28 May 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 15 Jun. 2025.
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