Law enforcement bears responsibility for neutralizing active shooter threats
In active shooter situations, law enforcement officers bear the responsibility of neutralizing the threat to keep the public safe.
In active shooter situations, law enforcement officers bear the responsibility of neutralizing the threat to keep the public safe.
Of the 34 incidents, officers intervened in 13 attacks while the shooter was still targeting victims, and in five of those attacks, law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the shooter.
All 13 incidents were resolved by law enforcement killing or apprehending the shooter on scene, or the shooter dying by suicide after officers intervened.
In the remaining 21 incidents, the attack ended prior to law enforcement’s arrival because the shooter was stopped by security or civilians, fled the scene, or died by suicide.
In 2025, law enforcement exchanged gunfire in five active shooter incidents that took place in government (3), open space (1), and commerce (1) location categories.
These exchanges resulted in three law enforcement injures and in every incident, at least two officers engaged the shooter.
In two incidents where gunfire was exchanged, officers sustained injuries during the exchange. At the Border Patrol Annex, law enforcement killed the attacker and two officers were wounded. At the Grand Sierra Resort, officers killed the shooter and one officer was wounded. | Open Space
In two of the five incidents, multiple firearms were used.
The CDC shooter fired three handguns, two rifles, and a shotgun; the SCSO shooter used two handguns, a shotgun, and a rifle; and the Border Patrol Annex shooter fired both a rifle and a handgun.
At the Grand Sierra Resort attack, the shooter used a single handgun, and at the Canfield Mountain attack, the shooter used a single shotgun.
While the shooters’ final outcomes differed, all died from gunfire, either by law enforcement action or suicide.
Of the five incidents involving gunfire exchanges with law enforcement, two shooters died by suicide.
At the incident at Canfield Mountain in Idaho, the shooter died by suicide
At the SCSO incident in Idaho, an officer was wounded prior to the exchange.
Additionally, in the incident at the CDC in Georgia, an officer was killed prior to the exchange.
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