An Oklahoma high school principal charged an intruder armed with two semi-automatic handguns and tackled him before the gunman could open fire on students, an act caught on surveillance video that authorities say prevented a catastrophe.
Kirk Moore, principal at Pauls Valley High School south of Oklahoma City, was shot in the leg during the struggle on April 7. The 20-year-old suspect, Victor Lee Hawkins, had stolen his father's weapons and arrived at school determined to kill students and staff, according to court documents.
Hawkins entered the lobby and pointed his pistol at a female student, pulling the trigger. The gun jammed. As he turned toward another student in the foyer, Moore burst from his office and charged directly at him. A staff member arrived to assist, and together they disarmed Hawkins before he could fire again.
"There's not a doubt in my mind that he saved kids' lives," said Don May, chief of the Pauls Valley Police Department. "It doesn't surprise me the actions that he took, but it is amazing, the actions that he took."
According to an affidavit by Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent Meric Mussett, Hawkins, a 2025 graduate of the school, had been obsessed with the 1999 Columbine shooting. The court documents state he told investigators he wanted to "conduct his own school shooting like the Columbine shooters did." He also had a personal grudge against Moore.
Hawkins faces charges of shooting with intent to kill, feloniously pointing a firearm, and carrying a weapon to a public assembly. He remained in Garvin County detention on $1 million bail heading into a court appearance scheduled for May 8.
In a statement, Moore said his "instincts and training, as well as God's hand, were available" during the incident. He reported he was healthy and recovering, eager to return to work. Several former students told local media they were unsurprised by his heroism, with one former pupil saying Moore "would definitely take a bullet" for his students.
The high school's website notes that over the past decade administrators have developed and practiced safety protocols for intruder situations, emphasizing that keeping students safe is the school's "foremost concern."
Author James Rodriguez: "Moore did what too many administrators only fantasize about in active shooter drills, and he did it without hesitation, taking rounds to stop a gunman mid-rampage."
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