- Pauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore stopped a gunman, hailed as hero.
- Community members praise Moore's selflessness; he tackled the shooter, preventing harm.
- Moore is recovering in hospital; suspect is jailed after attempted attack.
PAULS VALLEY, Okla. — Parents in Pauls Valley are breathing a sigh of relief thanks to a high school principal who they are calling a hero.
Pauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore is being hailed as a hero after he tackled a would-be school shooter at the school, an act that has left the community in shock but grateful.
To jump in and confront a school shooter isn't something that just anybody would do, but those who know Moore said this was a no-brainer for him.
"He would do anything to save those kids," Madison Knighten, a former student, said.
The sentiment was shared by others in the community, including former students.
"If some student was to get harmed, he would definitely take a bullet for him. I believe that," said Spencer Flinn, a former student.
Childhood friends also described who Moore is as a person and as a principal.
"He's a hero. He wasn't thinking about himself. He was thinking about the kids," childhood friend Harold Marcum said.
The community is recovering from the shock of the incident, but is grateful for what didn't happen, thanks to Moore's actions.
"I didn't know this could happen in a small town, possibly, especially my hometown," Knighten said. "I've lived here. I've lived in Pauls Valley for 19 years. So, I am super shocked that this happened."
Investigators said the suspect entered the school intending to kill the principal but was stopped when Moore tackled him.
Moore is recovering in a hospital while the suspect is in jail.
Knighten, who graduated with the shooter, said Moore was always there for her and other students. She said she can't understand why he would do something like this to someone as selfless as Moore.
"He helped me through mental health. When I was getting hurt really bad, he would help me through anything and everything that I needed help with, and every time I would come to him, he would always offer his help," Knighten said.
Marcum, who has known Moore for 55 years, said Moore even honored his late son on campus, reflecting the kind of person he is.
