Video shows moment Oklahoma high school principal tackled gunman before being shot

ByJonathan GrecoCNNWire logo
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 11:13AM
Video shows moment school principal tackled gunman before being shot

PAULS VALLEY, Oklahoma -- New video shows the moment an Oklahoma high school principal tackled an armed former student in the school's lobby before being shot last week.

Security camera video, which was acquired via an open records request, from inside Pauls Valley High School showed the suspect, 20-year-old Victor Hawkins, enter the school shortly before 2:20 p.m. on April 8 with a firearm after someone pushed on the door and let him inside.

Hawkins appeared to point and fire a gun before slowly walking into the lobby. Investigators said the gun jammed.

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A person can be seen coming into the frame, and Hawkins attempted to cock the gun before pointing it at someone sitting on a bench in the lobby.

The principal, Kirk Moore, is then seen opening a door and rushing at Hawkins from the side, tackling him onto a bench against the wall. The person sitting in the lobby ran as Kirk held Hawkins down.

At one point, the gun was pointed directly at Moore's head.

Another staff member quickly arrived and kicked away the gun that Hawkins dropped.

At some point during the incident, Moore was shot in the leg. He was flown to a hospital in Oklahoma City, where he was treated and released a few days later. He is now recovering at home.

Hawkins was booked into the Garvin County Jail on two counts of pointing a firearm, one count of shooting with intent to kill, and two counts of unlawful carry.

Court documents state that Hawkins intended to commit a mass shooting at the school and admitted that he was influenced by the Columbine school shooting. During an arraignment on Wednesday, Hawkins told a judge he had every intention of going inside the school to shoot students, faculty, and then himself.

Hawkins is expected back in court on May 8.