Kirk Moore credits training, instinct and “God’s hand” after disarming school attacker in seconds

May 8, 2026, 12:03 PM

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Kirk Moore credits training, instinct and “God’s hand” after disarming school attacker in seconds

Kirk Moore, the principal from Oklahoma who confronted a gunman inside Pauls Valley High School last month, says, "I don’t know what I was thinking."

"I just knew, I was just running to get to whatever was going on," he tells CBS News in a network exclusive interview airing Monday on "CBS Mornings."

Officials say his heroism ensured no one else at the school was injured and the suspect was arrested.

"I think it was just instinct," Moore says of his actions. "You know, in 37 years, you go through trainings and drills and what you should do. That all goes out the window."

Surveillance video from the incident on April 7 shows Moore racing toward the suspect, pushing him onto a bench and holding him down before another staffer helped kick the weapon away.

"I’m glad it worked out the way it did," Moore says in the interview. "Again, I think God’s hand was on all of us, but I can’t explain why it happened the way it did."

Christopher Whitmore

Tech & Cybersecurity Editor