active shooter

plural active shooters

1. USgovernmentA person actively engaged in a shooting spree.First known use ca. 2000

   In most cases, active shooters use firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.

   2 more examples

   “When you have an active shooter going after people at random—a shooter with a plan,” he said, “that's completely different than your typical barricade hostage situation.”

   1999 April 28, Timothy Egan, quoting Larry Glick, “School Attack May Bring Changes in Police Tactics”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   Today, the sound of gunshots often prompts “active shooter” warnings on social media, whether or not the event fits the F.B.I.’s definition of the term. In many cases, reports of active shooters have turned out to be false.

   2021 May 5, Jacey Fortin, “What Does ‘Active Shooter’ Really Mean?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see active, shooter.

   Today Howard is still an active shooter and still enjoys hunting the local game.

   1986, Desmos of Delta Sigma Delta, page 27

   2 more examples

   Although I had been an active shooter since I was thirteen as a young twenty-five year old^([sic]) police officer I was convinced by a Coast Guard firearms instructor to abstain from shooting a live round for six months in order to rid myself of a badly reconditioned motor response.

   1962, Police, page 33

   First there is the active shooter who is highly interested in either competition or hunting.

   1967 July 10, U.S. Senate, Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency, “Federal Firearms Act”, in Hearings, page 320