In a heartwarming gesture, students at an Oklahoma high school honored their principal, who bravely confronted a school shooter, by naming him prom king.
Kirk Moore, principal of Pauls Valley High School, was celebrated with a gold crown during the event on Friday night. This tribute came just weeks after Moore sustained a gunshot wound to the leg while heroically subduing an armed intruder, Victor Lee Hawkins.
On April 7, Hawkins, aged 20, charged into the school wielding two semi-automatic handguns, seemingly influenced by the tragic 1999 Columbine High School attack. Moore, acting swiftly, dashed from his office to restrain the shooter.
The courageous educator walked into prom with a huge smile on his face as students cheered him on and hailed him ‘our king’ while Nickleback’s song ‘Hero’ played in the background, a now-viral clip showed.
In an emotional moment captured on video, the 60-year-old principal graciously accepted his prom king title amid cheers and applause from the student body.
Dramatic surveillance footage revealed Moore’s courageous act, showing him confronting Hawkins shortly after the suspect aimed a gun at a student in the school’s lobby.
According to investigators, the assailant had commanded everyone to lie down and attempted to shoot a student during the terrifying incident.
His weapon was jammed, but after he fixed the malfunction, he fired at another teenager and missed.
Kirk Moore, the principal of Pauls Valley High School, was crowned prom king on Friday night as students cheered him on
Moore has been hailed a hero after he took down suspected school shooter Victor Lee Hawkins on April 7
A pair of students then begged for their lives and were allowed to flee, as others followed suit, before Moore rushed out and tackled Harkins.
Moore, a district employee of 35 years, pinned the shooter to a bench and forced the weapon out of his hand, but was shot in the leg while doing so.
While Hawkins was restrained, a school officer ran over and kicked away the handgun before carrying it back into the office.
Moore was hospitalized and is now ‘healthy and recovering’, authorities said.
Meanwhile, Hawkins was arrested after he admitted he was there that day to kill students, faculty members, Moore, and himself, according to an affidavit obtained by NBC News.
The shooter, an alumnus of the high school, said he ‘did not like’ Moore, prosecutors said.
Hawkins reportedly admitted that he ‘wanted to conduct his own school shooting like the Columbine shooters did,’ referring to the horrible massacre that left 13 students and one teacher dead more than two decades ago.
Moore was shot in the leg while he tried to restrain and disarm the gunman
The shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, opened fire inside the Colorado school before committing suicide.
Hawkins allegedly told officers he went to the school with firearms owned by his father that he took without his permission.
Following the near-tragedy, Pauls Valley Police Chief Don May said that Moore stopped what would have been a massacre.
‘It doesn’t surprise me the actions that he took, but it is amazing, the actions that he took. There’s no doubt in my mind that he saved kids’ lives,’ May stated.
Moore went on to thank the local community for ‘an outpouring of love and support’ in a statement after the terrifying incident.
Hawkins has been charged with shooting with intent to kill, two counts of feloniously pointing a firearm, and two counts of carrying a weapon to a public assembly, charging documents showed.
He remains in custody on a $1 million bail at the Garvin County Detention Center, according to jail records.
Hawkins was arrested after he admitted he was there that day to kill students, faculty members, Moore and himself
Hawkins has been charged with shooting with intent to kill, two counts of feloniously pointing a firearm and two counts of carrying a weapon to a public assembly, charging documents showed
He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on May 8.
His court-appointed attorney filed a motion on Thursday requesting that a Garvin County judge stop law enforcement officers, attorneys, and court personnel from making public comments related to the case to the media.
They also requested that the judge block evidence from being released to the media and prevent it from being shared online, according to the motion reviewed by News9.
His legal team has argued that the order ensures that there will be a fair trial on all sides.
A court hearing for the gag order is set for May 1.
