SEE IT: The Moment Hero Principal Charges Armed Former Student
Video shared on Tuesday shows the moment an Oklahoma high school principal rushed and tackled an armed former student, preventing what authorities say could have been a school shooting.
The security footage, obtained by NBC affiliate KFOR, captures Principal Kirk Moore of Pauls Valley High School confronting the suspect roughly one week before the video was made public.
The video appears to show someone else opening the door, allowing the former student into the building. The suspect then walks into the lobby, briefly hiding behind a vending machine before stepping into view. Just as he approached an office door, the door opened, and Moore barreled toward him.
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***JUST IN: VIDEO SHOWS MOMENTS HERO PRINCIPAL TACKLES GUNMAN***
We have obtained security video from last week’s shooting at Pauls Valley High School, showing the moments principal Kirk Moore jumped on top of a gunman as he attempted to shoot multiple students. @kfor pic.twitter.com/MXZzsAeJJL
— Spencer Humphrey (@SHumphreyTV) April 14, 2026
Moore ducked his head and shoulders as he ran, hitting the suspect in the chest with his full weight and tackling him onto a nearby bench, pinning him there. Moore was shot in the leg at some point during the scuffle.
Another man, identified later as Moore’s assistant principal, ran out of the same office seconds later. Assessing the situation, he quickly knocked the handgun away from the suspect, then picked it up and secured it inside the office.
The two men restrain the suspect — identified as former student Victor Lee Hawkins, 20, until law enforcement arrives and takes him into custody.
Moore released a lengthy statement after the shooting, thanking local law enforcement and first responders for their support and the community for their prayers and well-wishes.
“Pauls Valley schools are safe communities unaccustomed to the type of threat we witnessed on Tuesday. Nevertheless, like so many educators around the country, we prepare for these events through training and careful assessments of threats,” Moore said. “I am grateful that my instincts and training, as well as God’s hand, were available to come to me on Tuesday.”
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