A contagious shooting is a sociological phenomenon observed in military and police personnel, in which one person firing on a target can induce others to begin shooting. Often the subsequent shooters will not know why they are firing, unless they are infantrymen, in which case they are expected to do so. For instance, if someone was a member of a fire team following the point man and he suddenly begins firing his weapon, there is a good chance that their element is in contact with the enemy.