PAULS VALLEY, Oklahoma (KOCO) — Newly released video shows the moments the Pauls Valley High School principal tackled an armed former student in the school’s lobby before being shot last week.
Security camera video, which was acquired via an open records request, from inside the school showed the suspect, 20-year-old Victor Hawkins, enter the school shortly before 2:20 p.m. on April 8 with a firearm after someone pushed on the door and allowed him inside.
Hawkins appeared to point and fire a gun before slowly walking into the lobby at Pauls Valley High School. Investigators told KOCO 5 that the gun jammed.
A person could be seen coming into the frame, and Hawkins attempted to cock the gun before pointing it at someone sitting on a bench in the lobby.
The principal, Kirk Moore, could then be seen opening a door and rushing at Hawkins from the side, tackling him onto a bench against the wall. The person sitting in the lobby ran as Kirk held Hawkins down.
At one point, the gun was pointed directly at Moore’s head.
Another staff member quickly arrived and kicked away the gun that Hawkins had just dropped.
At some point during the incident, Moore was shot in the leg. He was flown to OU Health in Oklahoma City, where he was treated and released a few days later.
Moore is recovering at home, and he spent a few hours at Pauls Valley High School on Monday.
Hawkins was booked into the Garvin County Jail on two counts of pointing a firearm, one count of shooting with intent to kill, and two counts of unlawful carry.
Court documents state that Hawkins intended to commit a mass shooting at the school and admitted that he was influenced by the Columbine school shooting. During an arraignment on Wednesday, Hawkins told a judge he had every intention of going inside the school to shoot students, faculty, and then himself.
Hawkins is expected back in court on May 8.
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