Drive By
In short
A drive-by shooting is a violent assault where attackers fire a weapon from a moving or idling motor vehicle before quickly fleeing the scene.
In plain words
Criminals use a car to get close to a target and shoot them. They use the vehicle to escape fast, which helps them stay anonymous and avoid the police.
A simple example
A group of people in a speeding car pull up alongside a person on a pavement and fire several shots before driving away.
Why it matters
This method is used because it provides a quick escape and protects the attackers from being caught immediately. It makes it much harder for law enforcement to respond before the criminals have vanished.
Easy to mix up
Do not confuse this with a roadside robbery, where the goal is to steal property rather than to shoot from a vehicle.