A split-second decision. A life-saving tackle.
Kirk Moore, a longtime Oklahoma educator, is being hailed as a hero after charging an armed former student and stopping what authorities say could have turned into a deadly school massacre.
Surveillance footage from Pauls Valley High School shows Moore, 60, confronting 20-year-old Victor Lee Hawkins, who allegedly entered the building last Tuesday armed with two loaded semi-automatic pistols.
According to investigators, Hawkins made his intentions clear.
He allegedly told authorities he “didn’t like Principal Moore” and “went to the school to kill” him, ordering people in the lobby to get on the ground as chaos erupted.
But something went wrong.
The suspect’s weapon reportedly malfunctioned when he tried to fire at a student — a moment that may have saved lives and bought Moore precious seconds to act.
When Moore rushed into the lobby to investigate, Hawkins allegedly turned the gun on him and fired, striking the principal in the right leg.
That’s when Moore charged.
The veteran educator lunged at the gunman, shoving him toward a bench and wrestling him to the ground as terrified students fled the scene.
Moore pinned Hawkins’ right hand, preventing him from firing again, until the weapon dropped free.
Moments later, another staff member sprinted in and helped secure the suspect, kicking the gun away.
Authorities say the rapid response likely prevented a far worse outcome.
“The actions of the staff and the principal stepping in as soon as they saw a subject with a firearm saved lives today,” said Hunter McKee, from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
School officials echoed that assessment.
Superintendent Brett Knight described Moore as a “hero,” noting his decades-long commitment to the district and mentorship of younger educators.
Moore, who has worked in the district for more than 35 years, is now recovering from his injuries, widely credited with stopping a tragedy before it could unfold.
Watch the clip below:
Dramatic footage reveals the split-second moment Oklahoma principal Kirk Moore tackles a school shooter after being shot in the leg.
The suspect, a former student allegedly obsessed with the Columbine shooting, is quickly subdued and disarmed — preventing a potential tragedy at… pic.twitter.com/vwIpxeYhz3
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 15, 2026
