How would you define the core purpose of an active shooter response?

The core purpose of an active shooter response centers around neutralizing the threat posed by the shooter. This objective is paramount because the immediate goal in an active shooter situation is to protect lives. By neutralizing the shooter, law enforcement and first responders significantly reduce the potential for harm to individuals in the area, allowing for the situation to be contained and ultimately resolved.

In an active shooting scenario, response teams must prioritize decisive and swift actions to mitigate the ongoing threat. This includes engaging the shooter, if necessary, and ensuring the safety of potential victims. The focus is not only on stopping the immediate threat but also on preventing further casualties and enabling the recovery and response processes that follow.

While assessing danger levels, establishing communication channels, and securing evidence are important components of emergency response protocols, they are secondary to the critical task of neutralizing the active shooter, which is fundamentally about saving lives in a life-threatening crisis.