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Students crown Oklahoma hero principal prom king weeks after he stopped attempted school shooting
What began as a typical prom in a town southwest of Oklahoma City became a surprise tribute when Principal Kirk Moore was crowned king weeks after heroically saving the lives of students by bravely tackling a suspected Columbine-inspired gunman.
“It was definitely an amazing experience, and it just felt good to the soul knowing we were giving him the honor that he deserves,” said junior Rachel Hamilton.
Camera footage released April 7 from Pauls Valley High School shows Moore getting shot in the leg while tackling the alleged gunman, identified as 20-year-old former student Victor Lee Hawkins.
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Authorities say that, in the Columbine-inspired attack, Hawkins entered the school lobby with two semiautomatic handguns, ordered people to the ground and attempted to shoot a student before his gun malfunctioned, and he was stopped by Moore.
“I think there were so many things that happened that weren’t just coincidences,” said Hamilton. “It was really God watching over us all.”
In her interview on America Reports Monday, she emphasized that divine intervention prevented more tragedies.
Around 2:20 p.m., Hamilton was making her way through the courtyard, the approximate time Hawkins attempted to attack.
“I remember I was walking, and I heard this crash, and obviously you don’t think it’s a shooter,” she said.
She continued toward the tennis courts, like any normal day, before learning Moore had been shot.
“I was the only one outside in the courtyard,” she said. “He could’ve come in that way, and there were no adults around.”
Junior Isaac Jacobson learned the severity of the situation as it unfolded off campus.
“If any circumstance went differently, people would’ve died,” Jacobson said. “If his gun didn’t misfire, or if Moore wasn’t there at that moment, things would’ve been different. Just the sheer amount of coincidences that happened surrounding that situation, I don’t see any other way other than God’s hand.”
As Jacobson approached his car, like any other end to a school day, he saw a horde of police officers springing into the building. The next hour was filled with anxiety.
Unable to reach his friends due to Oklahoma schools’ phone ban, which prohibits the use of cellphones from the first bell to dismissal, he feared the worst.
“I’m only 17,” Jacobson said. “I’m not ready to lose my friends.”
He was later relieved to learn some of his friends narrowly avoided being in the office where the confrontation occurred after they “stopped to see a random teacher” instead.
The totality of all these circumstances, the gun misfiring, Moore’s exact positioning, Jacobson’s friends’ change of plans or where Hawkins chose to enter the school led Hamilton and Jacobson to believe it is direct evidence of the Lord’s hand at work.
A few weeks later, the two students said they felt the prom felt like a moment of relief and an opportunity to celebrate and come together after what they believed was both physical and spiritual protection.
“Everybody seemed – not like we were not over it, but celebrating how well it went,” said Jacobson. “I went up and shook his [Moore’s] hand and thanked him for everything because I hadn’t gotten to that point.”
The two then reflected on the aftermath of what they and their community had endured.
Even though she admits “it’s kind of cliché,” Hamilton says she feels you have to live your life to the fullest; tomorrow’s not guaranteed, especially from a religious stance.
“Ultimately, beyond the fear, it gives me hope knowing that there’s good people like Coach Moore and others,” said Jacobson. “It gives me hope we’re able to step in and that this bravery won’t just be thrown away.”
According to court records, Hawkins was charged with two counts of unlawful carry, two counts of pointing a gun and one count of shooting with intent to kill. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, and his bail was set at $1 million.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 8.
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Mississippi middle schoolers stop runaway bus after driver loses consciousness from asthma attack
A group of Mississippi middle school students jumped into action this week to stop a school bus after the driver lost consciousness on a highway, preventing a potential crash.
About 40 students from Hancock Middle School were on board when their driver, Leah Taylor, 46, suffered an asthma attack shortly after leaving campus, according to The Associated Press.
Taylor attempted to grab her medication but passed out before she could reach it.
Without hesitation, the students sprang into action to keep the bus from crashing.
Sixth grader Jackson Casnave, 12, who was sitting behind the driver, noticed the bus begin to swerve. He rushed forward to grab the wheel and called for help.
“I didn’t have time to process my emotions,” Casnave said. “I just wanted to make sure that nobody got hurt.”
Darrius Clark, who is also 12, then hit the brakes, and the students steered the bus to a median and brought it to a stop.
Clark’s sister, Kayleigh, 13, called 911, later saying she struggled to hear the operator over the screams from classmates.
“I was scared, but also I had to help,” Kayleigh said.
Eighth grader Destiny Cornelius, 15, saw the driver holding a nebulizer and helped administer the medication, while 13-year-old McKenzy Finch assisted.
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Finch also noticed the driver’s phone ringing and alerted the district’s transportation team about what had happened.
Taylor, who has since made a full recovery, praised the students for their actions.
“I’m grateful for my students,” Taylor said. “They’re the ones that saved my life and everybody else’s on that bus.”
The students were honored at a school pep rally Friday and are set to receive a celebratory lunch next week, The AP reported.
“What they did took courage,” the school’s principal, Dr. Melissa Saucier, said. “They didn’t wait for somebody to step in, they stepped up themselves, and that says a lot about their character.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A shooting near President Donald Trump and several Cabinet members Saturday night is putting a spotlight on the Secret Service’s funding shortfall amid an ongoing standoff in Congress.
A gunman opened fire outside the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., where celebrities, members of the press and administration officials had gathered, prompting a swift security response. The suspect is in custody and has not been identified. One Secret Service agent was reportedly shot in their protective vest but is uninjured.
The incident unfolded near a security screening area, prompting a rapid response from Secret Service agents and law enforcement.
The shooting comes amid a more than 60-day funding stalemate in Congress over the Department of Homeland Security — a lapse driven by Democrats blocking funding bills and rejecting multiple GOP-backed proposals to reopen the department.
TRUMP RUSHED AWAY FROM WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER AS SHOTS FIRED
The funding standoff centers on disputes over immigration enforcement policy and has raised concerns about resources for agencies including the Secret Service, FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the president, vice president, their families and other senior U.S. officials, along with visiting heads of state, has faced growing demands in recent years.
The incident adds to a growing list of threats against Trump, including two confirmed assassination attempts and a recent incident involving an armed intruder at Mar-a-Lago.
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Senate Democrats declined to fund DHS through regular appropriations earlier this year following a deadly January incident involving immigration officers, triggering a funding lapse that has now stretched beyond 60 days. Negotiations remain stalled. Democrats are seeking changes to DHS operations, while Republicans are relying on alternative funding to continue enforcement.
Republicans are also considering funding the department for the remainder of Trump’s term through budget reconciliation, the same process used for immigration funding last year.
The shooting also comes as the Secret Service faces increasing pressure during a high-threat election cycle.
Last week, Secret Service Director Sean Curran warned lawmakers the agency is not adequately staffed to handle the demands of the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Olympics and the 2028 presidential cycle, underscoring mounting concerns about staffing and resources.
As more details emerge from the investigation into this latest shooting, questions continue to mount over whether the Secret Service has the resources needed to handle an increasingly complex threat environment.
President Donald Trump gave rare praise to the press in the aftermath of shots fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night that led to the evening’s rescheduling.
“This was an event dedicated to freedom of speech that was supposed to bring together members of both parties with members of the press, and in a certain way it did, because the fact that they just unified,” Trump said at a White House press briefing. “I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was, in one way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing to see.”
Trump’s comments came after he confirmed that the dinner would be canceled in accordance with security protocol despite how he “fought like hell” to have it continue. He reiterated his intention to have the event rescheduled within the next month.
An assailant rushed security at the Washington Hilton Saturday night, shooting a Secret Service officer, who was hit in his bulletproof vest and survived. The suspect was apprehended and has been charged with multiple felonies. The gunfire led to Trump and the Cabinet at the dinner being evacuated, and the dinner will be rescheduled.
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES EVENT BEING RESCHEDULED AFTER SHOOTING
Adding to the strangeness of the scene at the White House, Trump and many of the White House figures and reporters in the room were still wearing tuxedos and dresses after coming from the black tie dinner.
“I think it’s very important that I say, though, and I told the representatives of the evening they did such a beautiful job. It was such a beautiful evening. And again, they’re talking about free speech in our Constitution. That’s what it’s all about, not just White House correspondents. It was really based on free speech in our Constitution. But I said very importantly that we’ll do it again within the next 30 days. And we’ll make it bigger and better and even nicer. So I just want to thank everybody that was involved. I also want to thank the press, the media. You’ve been very responsible in your coverage. I will say I’ve been seeing what’s been out, and you’ve been very responsible,” Trump said.
Trump also took questions from members of the press. The first was from White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang, where he took the opportunity to compliment the CBS correspondent for the evening.
TRUMP, FIRST LADY EVACUATED FROM WH CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER AFTER GUNSHOTS HEARD
“I just want to say you did a fantastic job. What a beautiful evening. And we’re going to reschedule. And after that, it’s very tough for her to ask a killer question, but you have done a fantastic job,” Trump said.
Jiang asked Trump his thoughts in the moment as the chaos unfolded, given his experience with assassination attempts. Trump said it was always a shocking event, no matter when it happened.
Trump also shared an image of the suspect being arrested from his Truth Social account.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
Trump, first lady Melania Trump and the rest of the president’s Cabinet were rushed from the head table after shots rang out. The site of the Washington Hilton was also the location of the assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Trump announced last month that he accepted the invitation to attend this year’s dinner, explaining that the country’s 250th anniversary influenced his decision.
Trump’s attendance marked the first time he had been present at the event as president in either term. Trump previously attended the dinner as a private citizen in 2011, when he was famously roasted by then-President Barack Obama.
Trump faced two assassination attempts in 2024, including one in Pennsylvania when an assailant’s bullet grazed his ear.
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