A shootout, also called a firefight, gunfight, or gun battle, is a confrontation in which parties armed with firearms exchange gunfire. The term can be used to describe any such fight, though it is typically used in a non-military context or to describe combat situations primarily using firearms (generally excluding crew-served weapons, combat vehicles, armed aircraft, or explosives).
Shootouts often pit law enforcement against criminals, though they can also involve parties outside of law enforcement, such as rival gangs, militias, or individuals. Military combat situations are rarely titled "shootouts", and are almost always considered battles, engagements, skirmishes, exchanges, or firefights.
Shootouts are often depicted in action films, Westerns, and video games.
List of notable shootouts
IncidentLocationDateInvolved partiesDuration of shootoutCasualties (total)ResultGunfight at the O.K. Corral Tombstone, Arizona Territory, United States26 October 1881United States Marshals Service and town marshal<1 minute3 killed 3 injuredSurviving Cowboys later conduct revenge attacks, leading to the Earp Vendetta RideCochise County CowboysFrisco shootout Frisco, New Mexico Territory, United States1–2 December 1884Associates of a detained cowboy36 hours4 killed 8 injuredCowboys fail to injure or kill Baca and retreat after depleting ammunitionElfego Baca1907 Tiflis bank robbery Tiflis, Tiflis Governorate, Caucasus Viceroyalty, Russian Empire26 June 1907BolsheviksUnrecorded40 killed 50 injuredBolsheviks escape with 241,000 rublesState Bank of the Russian Empire guards and Imperial Russian ArmyTottenham Outrage Tottenham, London, United Kingdom23 January 1909Metropolitan Police2 hours4 killed 21 injuredHelfeld and Lepidus commit suicide during and after incidentPaul Helfeld and Jacob LepidusSiege of Sidney Street Stepney, London, United Kingdom3 January 1911City of London Police, Metropolitan Police and the British Army7 hours2 killed 5 injuredBoth gunmen killed; one by soldiers and one by smoke inhalationFritz Svaars and Josef SokoloffEverett massacre Everett, Washington, United States5 November 1916Snohomish County Sheriff's Office and vigilante posse10 minutes7 killed 47 injured 75 arrestedEngaged vessels break contact; surviving involved Wobblies arrested but later releasedIndustrial Workers of the WorldBattle of Matewan Matewan, West Virginia, United States19 May 1920Baldwin–Felts Detective AgencyUnrecorded10 killed 5 injuredMiners involved in shootout tried and acquitted; labor tensions in the region eventually lead to Battle of Blair MountainUnited Mine Workers of AmericaBeer Hall Putsch Munich, Bavaria, Weimar Republic8–9 November 1923Kampfbund<2 days20 killed >12 injured Unknown number arrestedAdolf Hitler and other Nazi Party leaders arrestedBavarian State Police and ReichswehrYoung Brothers massacre Brookline, Missouri, United States2 January 1932Greene County Sheriff's Office and Springfield Police DepartmentUnrecorded6 killedYoung brothers escape and are later killed in a standoff with the Houston Police Department on 5 JanuaryHarry and Jennings YoungKansas City massacre Kansas City, Missouri, United States17 June 1933Gang led by Vernon C. Miller~30 seconds5 killedNash killed in ambush; Miller murdered, Adam Richetti arrested, and Pretty Boy Floyd killed after FBI-led manhuntFederal Bureau of Investigation and McAlester Police Department chief escorting Frank NashThe Battle of Barrington Barrington, Illinois, United States27 November 1934Federal Bureau of Investigation<5 hours3 killedOutlaws flee; Nelson succumbs to a fatal abdomen wound; Helen and Chase later arrestedBaby Face Nelson, Helen Gillis, and John Paul ChaseBattle of Bamber Bridge Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, United Kingdom24–25 June 194334th Military Police Company, Minnesota National Guard<1 day (ended by 4:00 am)1 dead 7 injured 32 arrested32 African American 1511th soldiers court martialed; Eighth Air Force command and military police reorganized to prevent further racial violence1511th Quartermaster Truck Regiment, Eighth Air ForceUniversity of Texas tower shooting Austin, Texas, United States1 August 1966Charles Whitman2 hours18 killed 31 injuredWhitman killed by policeAustin Police Department and local residentsNewhall incident Santa Clarita, California, United States5–6 April 1970Jack Wright Twinning and Bobby Augusta Davis~9 hours5 killed 1 injuredDavis arrested; Twinning commits suicide after standoffCalifornia Highway Patrol, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and two civiliansAsama-Sansō incident Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan19–28 February 1972United Red Army9 days3 killed 28 wounded 5 arrestedURA militants arrested after standoffNagano Prefectural PoliceNew Orleans sniper attacks New Orleans, Louisiana, United States31 December 1972 – 7 January 1973Mark Essex29 hours (including ~1-hour shootout on 31 December)9 killed 12 injuredEssex killed by policeNew Orleans Police Department1974 Symbionese Liberation Army shootout Los Angeles, California, United States17 May 1974Los Angeles Police DepartmentUnrecorded6 killedSLA militants killed in unintentional fire set by tear gas canistersSymbionese Liberation ArmyIranian Embassy siege South Kensington, London, United Kingdom30 April – 5 May 1980Special Air Service17 minutes6 killed 3 wounded 1 arrestedSAS assault kills 5 of 6 hostage-takersDemocratic Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of ArabistanNorco shootout Norco, California, United States9 May 1980Five bank robbersUnrecorded3 killed 11 injuredThree surviving gunmen arrested, one commits suicideRiverside County Sheriff's Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, and California Highway Patrol1981 Brink's robbery Nanuet, New York, United States20 October 1981Black Liberation Army and May 19th Communist OrganizationUnrecorded3 killed 3 injuredAll surviving robbers and associates apprehended by 1986Brink's and Nanuet Police DepartmentShannon Street massacre Memphis, Tennessee, United States11–13 January 1983Memphis Police Department30 hours (raid lasted 20 minutes)8 killed 2 injuredAll cultists killed, captured police officer found deadSeven "Black Jesus" cult membersMilperra massacre Milperra, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia2 September 1984Comanchero Motorcycle Club>15 minutes7 killed 28 injuredSurviving combatants apprehended by policeBandidos Motorcycle Club1985 MOVE bombing Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States13 May 1985Philadelphia Police Department~18 hours11 killedPhiladelphia Police sued for excessive force for bombing MOVE headquarters and neighboring propertiesMOVE1986 FBI Miami shootout Miami, Florida, United States11 April 1986Federal Bureau of Investigation5 minutes4 killed 5 injuredPlatt and Matix killed in shootoutMichael Lee Platt and William Russell MatixAsh Street shootout Tacoma, Washington, United States23 September 198912 off-duty United States Army Rangers5–30 minutes1 injured (alleged) 2 arrestedAlleged drug dealers flee; Rangers briefly detained by Tacoma Police Department and released15–20 alleged drug dealers1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout Mumbai, Maharashtra, India16 November 1991Bombay Police Anti-Terrorism Squad4 hours7 killed 24 injuredAll D-Company gangsters killed by policeSeven D-Company gangstersRuby Ridge standoff Naples, Idaho, United States21–31 August 1992United States Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and other federal and state law enforcement10 days3 killed 2 injuredSamuel and Vicki Weaver killed; remaining holdouts surrender following negotiationsRandy Weaver, Weaver family, and Kevin HarrisWaco siege Waco, Texas, United States28 February – 19 April 1993Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other federal and state law enforcement51 days86 killed 27 injuredBranch Davidian compound destroyed in fatal fireBranch DavidiansAir France Flight 8969 raid Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France26 December 1994GIGN20 minutes7 killed (3 prior to raid) 15 injuredHijackers killed; surviving passengers and crew rescuedArmed Islamic Group of AlgeriaOperation Chavín de Huántar Lima, Lima province, Peru22 April 1997Chavín de Huántar Command22 minutes17 killed 8 injuredAll hostage-takers killed; surviving hostages rescuedTúpac Amaru Revolutionary MovementNorth Hollywood shootout Los Angeles, California, United States28 February 1997Los Angeles Police Department44 minutes2 killed 20 injuredPhillips and Mătăsăreanu killed in shootoutLarry Phillips Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu2003 Ennis shooting Ennis, Montana, United States14 June 2003George Harold DavisUnrecorded1 killed 10 injuredDavis arrested by policeRavalli County Sheriff's Office and Montana Highway PatrolTyler courthouse shooting Tyler, Texas, United States24 February 2005David Hernandez Arroyo Sr.Unrecorded3 killed 4 injuredArroyo killed by policeTyler Police Department and Smith County Sheriff’s Office2008 Mumbai attacks Mumbai, Maharashtra, India26–29 November 2008Lashkar-e-Taiba4 days175 killed >300 injured 1 arrestedAll terrorists killed; Ajmal Kasab captured and executed; investigations allege links to PakistanMumbai Police, National Security Guard, and Indian security forces2008 Parañaque shootout Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines5 December 2008Waray-Ozamis Gang1 hour17 killedSeveral gangsters escape; PNP and SAF investigated for crossfire fatalitiesPhilippine National Police and Special Action Force2009 shootings of Oakland police officers Oakland, California, United States21 March 2009Lovelle Shawn Mixon3 hours5 killed 1 injuredMixon killed by SWAT teamOakland Police Department2009 shooting of Pittsburgh police officers Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States4 April 2009Richard Poplawski4 hours3 killed 3 injured 1 arrestedPoplawski arrested and executedPittsburgh Police2010 Saric shootout Sáric Municipality, Sonora, Mexico1 July 2010Beltrán-Leyva OrganizationUnrecorded21 killed 6 wounded 9 arrestedAssailants flee before police and military forces arriveSinaloa CartelChristopher Dorner shootings and manhunt Los Angeles, California, United States3–12 February 2013Christopher Jordan Dorner~10 days5 killed 6 injuredDorner killed in shootout with San Bernardino County Sheriff's DepartmentLos Angeles Police DepartmentWashington Navy Yard shooting Washington, D.C., United States16 September 2013Aaron Alexis1 hour13 killed 8 injuredAlexis killed by policeMetropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and other law enforcement agencies2014 China–Vietnam border shootout Hải Hà district, Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam18 April 201416 Uyghur illegal migrantsUnrecorded7 killed 10 injuredMigrants killed by Vietnamese authorities or commit suicide; survivors surrender and are returned to ChinaVietnam Border Guard2014 Stockton bank robbery Stockton, California, United States16 July 2014Stockton Police Department and San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department1 hour3 killed 2 injured 1 arrestedRenteria, Martinez, and a hostage killed; Ramos arrestedJaime Ramos, Gilbert Renteria, and Alex MartinezJanuary 2015 Île-de-France attacks Île-de-France, France7–9 January 2015Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or the Islamic State (alleged)~3 days20 killed 22 injuredAll three attackers killed by policeNational Police and National Gendarmerie2015 Waco shootout Waco, Texas, United States17 May 2015Bandidos Motorcycle ClubUnrecorded9 killed 18 injured 177 arrestedAll charges ultimately dismissedCossacks Motorcycle ClubWaco Police Department and Texas Highway Patrol2015 Saint-Denis raid Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France18 November 2015Central Directorate of the Judicial Police and RAID7 hours3 killed 6 injured 5 arrestedTerrorist ring dismantledIslamic State2016 shooting of Dallas police officers Dallas, Texas, United States7 July 2016Micah Xavier Johnson>5 hours6 killed