Principal crowned prom king after thwarting school shooting
Students at an Oklahoma high school recently honored their principal and crowned him prom king after he thwarted a potential school shooting.
DJ Burk Ozbirn, who was working the prom that night, captured the moment Pauls Valley High School students celebrated Principal Kirk Moore on camera.
In the video, shared with ABC News, students and staff erupt into cheers and applause as Moore is announced the Class of 2026's prom king, the students' way of saying "thank you" for potentially saving their lives.
"He's so well-liked and loved. He was just ecstatic. The kids went nuts, it was crazy," Ozbirn said.
To cap off the students' celebration for Moore, Ozbirn played the song "Hero" by the band Nickelback as Moore was crowned prom king.
"They were screaming and saying they loved him, and all night long, they were hugging him, and it was ... just such a good night," Ozbirn added. "The school needed that after what happened."
Moore made headlines earlier this month after tackling a 20-year-old former student armed with two pistols who had entered Pauls Valley High School on April 7, in an incident caught on a school security camera.
"At approximately 2:21 p.m., officers responded to a shooting call at Pauls Valley High School. When officers arrived on scene, they located an adult male with an apparent gunshot wound. It was determined the victim is the principal of the school. He was transported to a local hospital in stable condition," the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said at the time.
Authorities said the suspect had allegedly intended to carry out a mass shooting at the school. The suspect was subsequently booked into the Garvin County Jail on two counts of pointing a firearm, one count of shooting with intent to kill, and two counts of unlawful carry, according to authorities.
The suspect has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A court hearing is currently scheduled for May 1.
Moore was shot in the lower right leg during the incident but has since been discharged from the hospital.
