"It doesn't surprise me the actions that he took, but it is amazing, the actions that he took," Pauls Valley Police Chief Don May told NBC News. "There's not a doubt in my mind that he saved kids' lives."
According to investigators, Hawkins confessed to taking his dad's handguns without permission and going to the high school. Prosecutors allege he was intent on conducting "his own school shooting like the Columbine shooters did," and that he had a dislike for Moore.
Hawkins is charged with shooting with intent to kill, feloniously pointing a firearm and carrying a weapon to a public assembly. He is being held on $1 million bond.
Moore is recovering from the shooting, and he hopes to return to work soon, he said in a statement. In a world where threat of school shootings hangs over students and teachers, Moore said the training he and other administrators prepared him to react so quickly.
"Like so many educators around the country, we prepare for these events through training and careful assessment of the threats," he said. "I am grateful that my instincts and training, as well as God's hand, were available to me."
