Oklahoma Principal Shot Stopping School Gunman

Kirk Moore has spent 37 years in education, but nothing could have prepared him for April 7, 2026. That's when a 20-year-old former student walked into Pauls Valley High School in Oklahoma carrying two semiautomatic handguns with plans for a mass shooting.

The moment the alleged gunman pointed his weapon at a student, something incredible happened. The gun malfunctioned.

Moore saw his chance and took it. As the suspect began firing into the floor with bullets ricocheting around them, the principal tackled him to the ground. Moore was shot in the leg during the struggle but managed to disarm the attacker and hold him until police arrived.

"It's a gut reaction to protect," Moore said during a recent interview. "All the training that you go through, you can't prepare for the second, but it just seems like when it does happen, things fall into place."

Coach Mark Green was there that day and has no doubt about what Moore's actions meant. "There is absolutely no doubt" Moore saved lives, Green said. "He did what was needed in that moment, and that was brave beyond measure."

Why This Inspires

Moore credits his faith for getting him through the terrifying encounter. "I'm a man of faith, I believe God's hand's on everything," he explained. "And that's why it worked out the way it did in my mind."

Student Rachel Hamilton agreed that divine intervention played a role. "I think there were so many things that happened that weren't just coincidences," she said. "It was really God watching over us all."

The students found their own way to honor their hero. At the school's prom, they crowned Moore prom king, a gesture he described as "very sweet." For Rachel, the moment felt "good to the soul."

Moore is recovering from his injuries while the suspect, Victor Hawkins, faces multiple charges including unlawful carry and shooting with intent to kill. He has pleaded not guilty, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 8.

One principal's courage turned what could have been a tragedy into a story of hope and heroism.