shoot first and ask questions later

shoot first and ask questions later (third-person singular simple present shoots first and asks questions later, present participle shooting first and asking questions later, simple past and past participle shot first and asked questions later)

1. (idiomatic, US) To take hasty, immediate action with serious consequences, without first adequately investigating the situation.
2. (idiomatic, US) To act boldly.

• first blood
• guns blazing
• preemptive
• shoot from the hip