Dramatic video shows Oklahoma high school principal tackling gunman before getting shot

The gunman told investigators he planned to kill students, the principal, then himself in a mass shooting 'like the Columbine shooters did'

Published Apr 15, 2026  •  Last updated 5 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Screenshot of Oklahoma high school principal tackling gunman. Photo by KFOR /X

Newly released video shows the moment an Oklahoma principal took down an armed former student in the high school’s lobby.

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Kirk Moore was shot during the April 7 incident at Pauls Valley High School in Garvin County.

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Security camera footage from the school’s lobby shows the gun-wielding suspect, 20-year-old Victor Hawkins, enter the school around 2:20 p.m. after someone pushed on the door and let him inside.

What happened when gunman got inside

Investigators say Hawkins pointed his gun and yelled for everyone to “get on the ground,” according to court documents obtained by KFOR.

Hawkins then pointed a gun at a student and attempted to shoot but the gun jammed.

He then stepped behind a vending machine “to clear the malfunction,” according to the outlet.

Hawkins then emerged and pointed the pistol at two students, with one asking Hawkins not to shoot him.

The students ran out of the school’s front entrance after Hawkins let them go.

That’s when Moore can be seen rushing the gunman, tackling and disarming him while students flee.

Another school official is seen walking into the lobby and kicking the gun away before picking it up and taking it away.

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Powerhouse principal

Following the incident, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokesman Hunter McKee said that Hawkins “was able to fire multiple rounds” before he was disarmed.

“All students have been confirmed safe and accounted for,” the Garvin County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release the day of the incident. “Principal Kirk Moore sustained injuries during the incident and is currently listed in stable condition.”

McKee noted: “The actions of the staff and the principal stepping in as soon as they saw a subject with a firearm saved lives today.

Moore shared a statement on social media on Friday, thanking the school community and others who have reached out for the love and support he has received.

“This support is the reason I am healthy and recovering today,” he wrote. “I look forward to returning to work as soon as possible so that I may continue my life’s work educating the next generation of Oklahoma leaders.”

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Victor Lee Hawkins, 20, who attempted to shoot up Oklahoma high school before its principal tackled and disarmed him. (Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation) Photo by Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation /Facebook

Shooter wanted repeat of Columbine

Hawkins has been been charged with shooting with intent to kill, two counts of pointing a firearm, and carrying a weapon to a public assembly, the District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

He told investigators that he went to the school with plans to kill students, Moore and then himself in a mass shooting “like the Columbine shooters did,” in reference to the 1999 Colorado school shooting in which 12 students and a teacher were killed, according to the affidavit.

Hawkins has pleaded not guilty.

He is currently being held at Garvin County Detention Center on $1 million bond.

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