A Pauls Valley High School principal in Oklahoma has been credited with saving countless lives after he rushed and tackled a would-be school shooter despite being shot in the leg.

Principal Kirk Moore disarmed the suspect while holding him down on a bench, according to surveillance footage captured during the incident. The confrontation occurred when 20-year-old Victor Lee Hawkins, a former student at the school, entered the campus armed with two semiautomatic handguns and attempted to open fire.

Investigations revealed Hawkins had planned a Columbine-style attack. After initially failing to shoot a student due to a malfunctioning weapon, he targeted another victim but missed. Two students pleaded for mercy and were allowed to leave, while Moore charged from a nearby door to subdue Hawkins with the help of an assistant principal.

Moore was hospitalized after being shot in the leg but confirmed in a statement he is “healthy and recovering” and anticipates returning to work once medically cleared. Pauls Valley Police Chief Don May described Moore’s actions as preventing tragedy, stating: “There’s not a doubt in my mind that he saved kids’ lives.”

Hawkins, now held on $1 million bond at the Garvin County Detention Center, faces charges including attempted murder with firearms and felonious possession of a weapon. He admitted to wanting to conduct a shooting similar to the 1999 Columbine incident and described Moore as someone he “did not like,” stating his intent was to kill students, faculty members, Moore, and himself.