spree killer
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spree killer
A person who, in a state of seemingly indiscriminate rage, attacks and kills or tries to kill several people in a public place.
Die Polizei konnte den Amokläufer nach kurzer Zeit stellen.
The police were able to apprehend the spree killer after a short time.
The word is made up of 'Amok' (amok) and 'Läufer' (runner). 'Amok' originally comes from Malay and describes a kind of blind rage, and a 'Läufer' is a person who runs.
Der Begriff „Amok“ wird auch im Deutschen verwendet, um einen Zustand extremer Aggression zu beschreiben.
The term 'Amok' is also used in German to describe a state of extreme aggression.
The noun 'der Amokläufer' (spree killer) belongs to the word family around the term 'Amok' (amok). This also includes the fixed verb phrase 'Amok laufen' (to run amok) and the noun 'der Amoklauf' (killing spree) for the act itself.
Die Medien berichteten ausführlich über den Amoklauf.
The media reported extensively on the killing spree.
This word is mainly used in a very serious context, especially in the news, police reports, and psychology. It is not a word for everyday use.
In den Nachrichten wurde vor einem flüchtigen Amokläufer gewarnt.
The news warned of a fugitive spree killer.
mass murderer
Both words can refer to a person who attacks several victims. „Amokläufer“ emphasizes an apparently indiscriminate outbreak of violence in a public place and also fits an attempted killing, whereas „Massenmörder“ presupposes that several people were actually killed. What matters, therefore, is the course of the attack and the actual number of victims.
Der Amokläufer griff an einem öffentlichen Ort mehrere Menschen an, bevor die Polizei ihn stoppte.
The spree killer attacked several people in a public place before the police stopped him.
Der Massenmörder tötete bei dem Angriff in kurzer Zeit mehrere Menschen.
The mass murderer killed several people in the attack within a short period of time.
