mass shooting

American  

[mas shoot-ing] / ˈmæs ˈʃut ɪŋ /

noun

1. a single incident involving the shooting with one or more firearms of a number of people, but more than two and typically a large number, especially when the victims are random.

   There's news of a mass shooting at the stadium, with two fatalities and 25 injured.

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Etymology

Origin of mass shooting

First recorded in 1920–25

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mass shooting

“I think historically speaking, the vast majority of people who commit these kind of offenses and who follow through on mass shooting incidents are generally male,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

In February, Canadian law enforcement named Jesse Van Rootselaar as the suspect in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting, months after OpenAI employees had considered alerting law enforcement about Van Rootselaar’s interactions with the company’s chatbot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Colin Gray's prosecution marks the third time a US parent has been held criminally responsible for a mass shooting carried out by their child, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Public hearings -- tasked with probing the factors leading to Australia's deadliest mass shooting -- have started to receive testimony about the role social media plays in the spread of antisemitism.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

The pit was filled with a white-hot mass shooting out little tongues of white flame, and throwing out a heat beside which the scorching sun was a pleasant relief. 

From Modern Mythology by Andrew Lang

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