Watch: Moment heroic headteacher tackles school shooter saving students from ‘Columbine-style’ attack
The suspect told investigators he wanted to conduct his own school shooting “like the Columbine shooters,” and “kill the school’s principal".
This is the moment a heroic headteacher "saved lives" after tackling an active shooter at an Oklahoma secondary school.
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CCTV footage shows the moment Victor Hawkins, 20, enters the lobby of Pauls Valley High School on April 7 and aims a gun at two students.
The former student is then tackled to the ground by high school principal Kirk Moore as he fires shots into the ground.
Another member of staff then joins the struggle and removes the gun from his hand.
Hawkins - who was armed with two semi automatic weapons - was arrested on the scene.
He now faces two counts of pointing a firearm, one count of shooting with intent to kill, and two counts of unlawful carrying. He will appear in court next month.
Principal Moore was shot in the leg during the incident - but has since been released from hospital.
“The actions of the staff and the principal stepping in as soon as they saw a subject with a firearm saved lives,” Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokesman Hunter McKee said.
The suspect told investigators he wanted to conduct his own school shooting “like the Columbine shooters,” and “kill the school’s principal", local news reported.
Investigators also said Hawkins told them on the day of the shooting that he decided to go to Pauls Valley High School with the intent of killing students, faculty and himself.
'Willing to go out of his way'
The Pauls Valley community said if it weren’t for Moore, the situation could have been worse.
Pauls Valley Mayor Jocelyn Rushing works with Moore at the high school as an administrative assistant.
“He’s a fine man who loves the students and is willing to go out of his way to ensure their safety, and that was proven today by the steps that he took,” she added.