1 month ago
An Oklahoma main has been praised for preventing a calamity astatine his precocious schoolhouse by charging and disarming a erstwhile student equipped pinch 2 semi-automatic handguns, an section captured connected melodramatic surveillance video.
Kirk Moore, main of Pauls Valley precocious school, was changeable successful nan limb arsenic he wrestled nan attacker, a 20-year-old said by tribunal documents to beryllium obsessed pinch nan 1999 shooting astatine Colorado’s Columbine precocious schoolhouse successful which 12 students and 1 coach were killed.
Authorities successful Garvin county, astir 60 miles southbound of Oklahoma City, said Moore’s action of racing from his agency successful nan school’s lobby, and throwing himself connected apical of nan suspect, undoubtedly prevented a tragedy.
“It doesn’t astonishment maine nan actions that he took, but it is amazing, nan actions that he took,” Don May, main of nan Pauls Valley constabulary department, told NBC News.
“There’s not a uncertainty successful my mind that he saved kids’ lives.”
Investigators said nan alleged attacker, Victor Lee Hawkins, fired respective shots earlier he was disarmed by Moore and different unit personnel who arrived to help. Nobody was wounded different than nan principal, who needed infirmary curen for a coiled to his little correct leg.
Hawkins remained astatine nan Garvin region detention halfway connected Tuesday connected $1m bail, NBC reported, awaiting a tribunal quality connected 8 May. He faces charges of shooting pinch intent to kill, feloniously pointing a firearm and carrying a limb to a nationalist assembly.
The incident occurred soon earlier 2.20pm connected 7 April, according to an arrest affidavit signed by typical supplier Meric Mussett of nan Oklahoma authorities bureau of investigation.
About 20 minutes earlier, Mussett wrote, Hawkins, a 2025 postgraduate of nan precocious school, took 2 of his father’s weapons from a closet successful their location and drove to nan field “with nan intent of sidesplitting students, installation [sic], and yet himself”.
Hawkins “entered nan school, pointed his pistol, and yelled for everyone to get connected nan ground”, Mussett said, adding that he pointed nan weapon astatine a female student successful nan lobby and pulled nan trigger, but nan limb malfunctioned.
“Hawkins past stepped retired from down nan vending instrumentality and pointed his weapon astatine a antheral student successful nan foyer. Principal Moore past came retired of his agency and charged astatine Hawkins.”
Mussett said Hawkins told him he wanted to “conduct his ain schoolhouse shooting for illustration nan Columbine shooters did”, referring to nan 1999 Colorado calamity successful which 2 teenage assailants took their ain lives aft murdering students and staff.
“Hawkins did not for illustration Moore, truthful Hawkins went to nan schoolhouse to termination Moore,” Mussett wrote.
A connection on its website nether nan heading “safe school” specifications Pauls Valley’s preparations for specified an incident.
“Throughout nan past decade… nan precocious schoolhouse has besides developed and practiced information measures to beryllium taken should location beryllium an intruder aliases vulnerable individual connected campus,” it said. “It is our foremost interest that our students consciousness and are safe astatine school.”
Several erstwhile students told Oklahoma City’s ABC News connection KOCO they were not amazed by Moore’s action.
“If immoderate student was to get harmed, he would decidedly return a slug for him. I judge that,” Spencer Flinn said.
In a connection reported by NBC, Moore said he was grateful for “an outpouring of emotion and support” that followed nan incident.
“Like truthful galore educators astir nan country, we hole for these events done training and observant appraisal of nan threats,” he said. “I americium grateful that my instincts and training, arsenic good arsenic God’s hand, were disposable to me.”
Moore said he was “healthy and recovering”, and looking guardant to returning to work.
