active shooter

[ak-tiv shoo-ter]

noun

1. a person who is presently using a gun to shoot people in a confined and populated area.

Word History and Origins

Origin of active shooter¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

“Thoughts & Prayers,” premiering Tuesday on HBO, is a documentary film about the $3-billion “active shooter preparedness industry,” that space where American failure meets American entrepreneurism.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

More than 20 million adults have had active shooter training, learning how to keep doors shut or disarm a shooter, participating in multiplayer video simulations.

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There was Meredith and Derek’s first surgery together, the “007” reveal, an active shooter, the bomb in the body cavity, the overwhelming early days of the COVID-19 pandemic — to name a few.

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The incident prompted officials in Southport to issue a statement urging people to remain in their homes while an active shooter investigation was ongoing.

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"There are more perils customers can buy coverage for, especially around the active shooter product, but also strikes and riots."

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