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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
All officers, sergeants and lieutenants in the Glendale Police Department are required to undergo active shooter training, but this was the first training many officers had conducted on school grounds, according to Officer Jude Soine. Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 8 July 2025 Topline Two local police officers were injured Monday morning during an active shooter incident near the entrance to a Border Patrol sector annex in McAllen, Texas, Department of Homeland Security officials reported. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025 The Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector said an active shooter incident took place at the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector Annex, and the shooter died, according to the agency's social media page. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 7 July 2025 In addition to the bomb squad and SWAT team, Henderson was a field training officer for new deputies, a dive team member, an active shooter instructor, Taser instructor and self-defense instructor. Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for active shooter

Word History

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of active shooter was in 1999

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Cite this Entry

“Active shooter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/active%20shooter. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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