A high school principal saved lives by tackling an armed former student who opened fire in the school lobby last week, even after the suspect shot him in the leg, according to the local police chief.
Pauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore, an educator for 35 years, charged out of a nearby door and pinned the gunman face down on a bench, removing a handgun from his grip while an assistant principal helped hold him down, according to an arrest affidavit and school security video released on Tuesday.
NEW: Oklahoma high school principal seen charging at and disarming a school shooter in footage obtained by @SHumphreyTV.
Pauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore is being called a hero after getting shot while stopping a school shooter.
The suspect, identified as… pic.twitter.com/WOilXQIt5q
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 14, 2026
The confrontation unfolded on the afternoon of April 7 when Victor Lee Hawkins, 20, walked into the lobby armed with two semiautomatic handguns belonging to his father, which he had taken without permission. Hawkins told everyone to hit the ground and tried to shoot one student, but the weapon malfunctioned. He then cleared the jam and fired at another student, but missed, investigators said.
The two students pleaded for mercy and were allowed to leave, along with other pupils, as Moore intervened.
Hawkins, a former student at the school, told investigators he “did not like” Moore and wanted to carry out a Columbine-style attack, the affidavit states. He admitted his plan was to kill students, faculty members, Moore, and himself.
Moore was airlifted to a hospital after being shot in the leg. No one else was injured.
In a statement released on Friday, Moore expressed gratitude for the community’s “outpouring of love and support.”
“Like so many educators around the country, we prepare for these events through training and careful assessment of the threats,” he added. “I am grateful that my instincts and training, as well as God’s hand, were available to me.”
Pauls Valley Police Chief Don May praised Moore for thwarting a potential tragedy.
“It doesn’t surprise me the actions that he took, but it is amazing, the actions that he took,” he said, per NBC News. “There’s not a doubt in my mind that he saved kids’ lives.”
“We’re about a population of 6,200 people. Good kids, good community. Certainly don’t expect these types of situations to happen in your town,” May added, CBS News reported.
“He got up like the rest of us to go to work, and who dreamed this was going to happen?” said Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Lindel Field, per CBS. “So I just want to say thank you.”
Hawkins faces multiple charges, including shooting with intent to kill. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody on a $1 million bond.
