Pauls Valley Principal Hailed as Hero After Tackling Gunman

 "I am healthy and recovering"

Kirk Moore, the principal of Pauls Valley High School, is being hailed for his extraordinary bravery after he physically tackled an armed intruder during a terrifying assault at the school last Tuesday. Despite being shot in the leg during the struggle, Moore released a statement on Friday expressing his sincere gratitude for the wave of support coming from the community 60 miles south of Oklahoma City. He noted that he is currently on the mend and eager to return to his students and staff as soon as he is physically able.

The chaos began when 20-year-old Victor Lee Hawkins, a former student, entered the school lobby armed with two semiautomatic handguns he had reportedly taken from his father without permission. According to an arrest affidavit, Hawkins ordered everyone to the floor and immediately attempted to shoot a student. Fortunately, his weapon malfunctioned, providing a split second of reprieve. After clearing the jam, he fired at another student but missed.

"He wanted to conduct his own school shooting like the Columbine shooters did"

As the two targeted students pleaded for mercy and began to flee along with others, Moore charged through a nearby door and threw himself at the gunman. Security footage and witness accounts describe a desperate struggle where Moore pinned Hawkins’ face against a bench and wrestled a firearm from his grip. An assistant principal quickly joined in to help Moore hold the suspect down until police arrived.

During the investigation, prosecutors alleged that Hawkins harbored a specific dislike for Moore and intended to carry out a massacre modeled after the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. The affidavit states that Hawkins admitted his goal was to kill faculty members, students, the principal, and finally himself. While the community processes the trauma of the event, the quick actions of the school’s leadership are being credited with preventing a much larger tragedy.