Definition

Noun: - A homicide committed by shooting from a moving automobile: This term specifically refers to a murder where the perpetrator fires a gun from a vehicle that is in motion, typically without stopping, and then flees the scene.

Usage

• This term is used in legal, journalistic, and law enforcement contexts to describe a specific method of committing murder.
• It is a compound noun, typically hyphenated as "drive-by killing" or written as a single phrase "driveby killing."
• It often implies a planned or targeted attack, frequently associated with gang violence or organized crime.

Examples

• The gang war escalated with a series of drive-by killings in the city's north side.
• Police are investigating the drive-by killing of a local shop owner last night.
• Witnesses described the vehicle used in the drive-by killing as a dark-colored sedan.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically in non-violent contexts to describe a swift, impersonal, and damaging act, though this is less common and often considered informal or figurative.
  • The company's decision felt like a drive-by killing of the entire marketing department—sudden, remote, and devastating.

Variants and Related Words

• Drive-by shooting (n.): A broader term that can refer to any shooting from a moving vehicle, which may result in injury or death, not necessarily homicide.
• Drive-by (n., adj.): Often used as a shortened, informal form to modify other nouns (e.g., , ).
• Assassination (n.): A murder, typically of a prominent person, for political or monetary reasons. A drive-by killing can be a method of assassination.

Synonyms

• Shooting murder
• Ambush killing (if the element of surprise from a vehicle is emphasized)

Related Phrases

• To carry out a drive-by: The verbal phrase describing the act of committing such a crime.
  • The gang was accused of planning to carry out a drive-by.
• Victim of a drive-by: A common phrase identifying the person killed or injured.
  • She was an innocent victim of a drive-by.

Notes

• "Drive-by killing" is a specific type of homicide. The core action is the "killing"; the method "drive-by" modifies it.
• This term is almost exclusively used in the context of criminal violence and carries serious, grave connotations.

Noun

1. homicide committed by shooting from a moving automobile