MUST-SEE: ‘Hero’ Principal Takes Down Shooter Despite Being Struck In The Leg

Heart-stopping surveillance video shows an Oklahoma high school principal charging a former student in the lobby and tackling him to the ground, even after being shot in the leg, authorities said.

Pauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore, 60, sprinted at 20-year-old Victor Lee Hawkins last Tuesday afternoon as Hawkins allegedly entered the building armed with two loaded semi-automatic pistols, according to KOCO, which obtained the footage.

Moore was the only person injured in the encounter, but officials said his split-second decision to confront the gunman likely prevented a far deadlier outcome.

In the video, Hawkins is seen in a black hoodie, raising a handgun toward Moore’s head. Investigators say Hawkins fired and struck Moore in the right leg before the principal lunged, drove him backward and slammed him onto a bench.

As a student nearby bolts out of the lobby, Moore keeps his weight on Hawkins, pinning the shooter’s right hand while the gun slips free and hits the floor. Another staffer rushes in moments later, kicks the weapon away and helps secure the suspect until police arrive.

Hunter McKee of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation credited Moore and school staff for moving fast as soon as they spotted a man with a gun.

“The actions of the staff and the principal stepping in as soon as they saw a subject with a firearm saved lives today,” McKee said.

Court documents cited by KFOR say Hawkins told investigators he “didn’t like Principal Moore” and “went to the school to kill” him. The documents also say he ordered people to get on the floor and tried to fire at a student in the lobby before the gun malfunctioned.

A second student was then targeted, according to reports, as the child pleaded for the gunman not to shoot. That’s when Moore, a longtime educator who has spent more than 35 years in the district, ran toward the commotion.

Pauls Valley Superintendent Brett Knight called Moore a “hero,” The Oklahoman reported, and told 9News the principal had been a mentor to him.

Principal Kirk Moore

“He’s actually been a mentor to me,” Knight said. “He was kinda the one that kind of helped me when I was first hired.”

RELATED: ‘Hero’ Principal Takes Bullet While Tackling School Shooter, Stopping Mass Casualty Event

City Councilman Kahn Nirschl said he was “so appreciative” of Moore’s actions.

“He undoubtedly saved lives today through his actions,” he said.

Investigators say Hawkins told them he stole the guns from his father and “wanted to conduct his own school shooting like the Columbine shooters did,” a reference to the 1999 attack in Colorado that killed 13 victims.

Hawkins has been charged with shooting with intent to kill and other firearm-related counts and is scheduled to appear in court May 8. Moore has said he is “healthy and recovering” after being hospitalized.

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