active shooter
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of active shooter
First recorded in 1965–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Police rushed to the Islamic Center of San Diego Monday after receiving a call about an active shooter.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Initially, police deployed to an area around a high school with which the suspect was associated, until they received a call of an active shooter at the Islamic Center.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
The police responded by deploying officers to the scene, and issuing an active shooter alert for the rural community and a surrounding area.
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026
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.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025
About 72% of the state and local officials who arrived at Robb Elementary before the gunman was killed received some form of active shooter training throughout their law enforcement careers.
From Salon • May 23, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
