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.
Initially the ramming was reported as an "active shooter incident".
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
On top of longstanding fears of a potential active shooter situation, she now worries daily that ICE agents will show up.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025
That panel’s 77-page report revealed that a total of 376 law enforcement officers descended upon the school in an uncoordinated manner, disregarding their own active shooter training.
From Salon • May 23, 2024
He noted that Iowa has purchased 1,200 emergency radios for schools, started a tip line where threats can be anonymously reported, and provided thousands with active shooter training.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 26, 2024
The local school police chief had classified the incident as a barricaded subject instead of an active shooter situation, which would have called for a more aggressive approach.
From New York Times • Jan. 19, 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.
