Response to an Active Shooter

An active shooter is defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as "an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims."

Recently and in the years past, there have been numerous active shooter incidents throughout the United States. This page was created to provide basic information to the general public, as well as business owners and their employees, about what to do in the event of an active shooter situation.

Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims. Because active shooter situations are often over within 5 to 10 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals should be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter.