This article recounts how a high school principal in a small Oklahoma town confronted an armed attacker, the sequence of events inside the school foyer, and the aftermath for the principal and community. I detail what happened when the suspect arrived, how school staff and students reacted, the physical confrontation that ended the threat, and the principal’s statement afterward.
A quiet afternoon at Pauls Valley High School turned chaotic when a 20-year-old former student walked into the building armed with two semi-automatic pistols. According to investigators, the suspect had been inspired by past mass shootings and entered the front of the school with malicious intent. The initial moments inside the foyer set the stage for what became a violent and dangerous confrontation.
Students in the foyer were the first to face the attacker’s weapons. At least one student had a gun pointed at them and the attacker tried to fire, but the weapon malfunctioned and did not discharge. The suspect stepped away to attempt to clear the problem, then returned and fired a shot at another student before ordering victims to leave the scene.
Hawkins then pointed a gun at a student in the foyer and attempted to shoot, but the gun malfunctioned and did not fire.
The affidavit says Hawkins then stepped behind a vending machine “to clear the malfunction.”
Investigators say Hawkins then came back out and pointed his weapon at another student and fired a shot.
It says that the student put his hands in the air and asked Hawkins not to shoot him.
The document says Hawkins then lowered his gun. He told both students, whom he had just attempted to shoot, to leave the scene.
After those students escaped, the school’s principal went to investigate and encountered the suspect in the foyer. The attacker fired and struck the principal in the leg, but that wound did not stop the principal from acting immediately. He tackled the gunman onto a bench, wrestled him, and managed to disarm him despite being injured.
According to the affidavit, Moore then “wrestled with Hawkins on a bench in the foyer and was able to remove Hawkins’ pistol from his hand.” It says Moore and the school’s assistant principal then lay on top of Hawkins until law enforcement arrived.
The school’s assistant principal joined the effort and helped secure the weapon the principal had knocked free. The two administrators held the suspect down until responding officers arrived and took custody of him. That teamwork prevented further shots being fired in a crowded school environment and likely limited casualties that could have been far worse.
The footage of the confrontation circulated quickly and shows a principal who chose to act in a dire moment rather than wait for help. The video highlights how split-second decisions and physical courage interrupted a planned attack, and it has been shared across platforms as an example of immediate action saving lives. Witness accounts and local reports emphasize how the principal’s response changed the outcome.
The community of Pauls Valley is small, and residents said the principal is a long-time local figure. Pauls Valley is a town of roughly 6,000 people, located about 60 miles south of Oklahoma City, where school officials and first responders responded together. The small-town setting underscored how familiar faces and quick reactions mattered when an emergency arrived at the school door.
Pauls Valley is a community of about 6,000 people 60 miles (96 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City.
Officials say Principal Kirk Moore is expected to recover from the leg wound he suffered during the confrontation. In a public message, Moore credited his training, instincts, and faith for guiding him through the incident and thanked the responding law enforcement and fire personnel. He also expressed eagerness to return to his work educating students once he is able.
Pauls Valley schools are safe communities unaccustomed to the type of threat we witnessed on Tuesday. Nevertheless, like so many educators around the country, we prepare for these events through training and careful assessments of threats. I am grateful that my instincts and training, as well as God’s hand, were available to come to me on Tuesday.
My sincere thanks to the Pauls Valley police and fire departments, as well as the Garvin County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol and ATF agents who responded to provide support. I am especially proud of the Pauls Valley alumni among this group who so selflessly serve our community and demonstrate the values of our school every day.
I look forward to returning to work as soon as possible so that I may continue my life’s work educating the next generation of Oklahoma leaders. Until then, my thoughts are with our outstanding students, safe today in the arms of their families and friends.
The quick response by school staff, alumni first responders, and law enforcement ended the threat before it could escalate into a mass casualty event. Local officials are continuing their investigation into the suspect’s motives and background while the school focuses on supporting students and staff. The incident has prompted conversations about training, preparedness, and the ways communities respond when violence appears at public institutions.
For the people directly affected that day, the priority remains recovery and support for students, staff, and families. The principal’s actions, along with those of other school personnel and emergency responders, are at the center of how the event is being remembered locally. The town is now moving through the aftermath with attention on healing and ensuring safety going forward.
Community members and local officials continue to share details as investigations proceed, and the footage that captured the incident remains a stark record of what happened during those tense minutes. The story reinforces how preparedness and immediate action in a school setting can change the course of a violent attack.
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