Pauls Valley High School students voted their principal to be prom king, just 10 days after he tackled an armed former student in the school lobby and was shot in the leg.
>> Heroic Oklahoma school principal tackles gunman, saves students’ lives <<
Kirk Moore, principal of Pauls Valley High School in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, appeared at the school's senior prom to cheering students and was announced as prom king as Nickelback's "Hero" played over the speakers.
Video of Moore's entrance, which has gone viral on social media, shows him entering the venue to applause and high-fives from students.
Hero Principal Kirk Moore—who tackled a school shooter at Pauls Valley High School in Oklahoma is crowned prom king!
— Lane Brown (@lanebrown_3) April 18, 2026
This man deserves a raise! Hero. pic.twitter.com/Xzq2Hn3nCH
As Zeale News reported, Moore had been hospitalized after the April 7 incident, in which he tackled and disarmed Victor Lee Hawkins, 20, a former Pauls Valley student who entered the school carrying two semiautomatic handguns. Moore was assisted by an assistant principal in restraining Hawkins until law enforcement arrived.
Pauls Valley Police Chief Don May said Moore's intervention prevented a larger tragedy. "There's not a doubt in my mind that he saved kids' lives," May told NBC News.