Oklahoma high school principal 'saved kids' lives' by tackling gunman while being shot in the leg, police chief says

U.S. newsOklahoma high school principal 'saved kids' lives' by tackling gunman while being shot in the leg, police chief saysPauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore was a target of the suspect, who investigators said wanted to carry out a Columbine-style attack at his alma mater.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleDramatic video of principal stopping school shooter01:15Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 14, 2026, 8:31 PM EDTBy Dennis RomeroAn Oklahoma high school principal "saved kids' lives" last week when he tackled a gunman and was shot in the leg in the process, the local police chief said.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.In a statement, Pauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore expressed gratitude for "an outpouring of love and support" following last Tuesday's incident at the school, about 60 miles south of Oklahoma City.In an arrest affidavit, investigators said Victor Lee Hawkins, 20, armed with two semiautomatic handguns, walked into the lobby of the school that afternoon, told everyone to hit the ground and tried to shoot one student but was thwarted by a malfunctioning weapon.After he cleared the malfunction, he opened fire on another student but missed, according to the document. The two students pleaded for mercy and were allowed to leave, with other pupils following, as Moore charged out of a nearby door and tackled Hawkins from behind, pinning his face down on a bench, removing a gun from his hand and holding him down with the help of an assistant principal, according to the affidavit and school security video.Hawkins, a former student at the school, described Moore as someone he “did not like,” prosecutors alleged, and said he “wanted to conduct his own school shooting like the Columbine shooters did,” referring to the 1999 high school shooting in Colorado that ended in the deaths of 14 victims and two tee...