Buford O'Neal Furrow Jr. was born on November 25, 1961. He grew up in Lacey, Washington. Furrow was educated and graduated from Western Washington University in 1986, where he earned a degree in engineering. In the 1980s, he began working for major companies like Boeing and Northrop Grumman.

Furrow's life took a different turn in the 1990s. He became involved with a white supremacist movement led by Richard Girnt Butler. Furrow was part of the security detail at Butler's compound located in Hayden Lake, Idaho. His connections to this movement marked a significant phase in his life.

Earlier in his life, Furrow faced challenges related to mental health. He had been treated for mental illness while in the custody of the state of Washington. These experiences played a role in shaping his later actions.

Furrow had a personal life as well. He was married to Debbie Mathews, who was known as the widow of Robert Jay Mathews. Robert Mathews was a neo-Nazi terrorist who founded a group called The Order. Buford and Debbie met at the Aryan Nations headquarters in Idaho. Their relationship connected Furrow further to the extremist beliefs he held.

On August 7, 1999, Buford O'Neal Furrow Jr. bought a red Chevrolet van and filled it with weapons and ammunition. He planned to attack Jewish institutions but decided against it due to armed guards. Instead, he drove to Granada Hills, Los Angeles. On August 10, around 11 a.m., he arrived at the North Valley Jewish Community Center. There were about 250 children playing outside when he entered the lobby with an Uzi submachine gun. Furrow opened fire, shooting over 70 bullets, and injured five people, including children and a camp counselor.

After the shooting, Furrow fled the scene in his van. He carjacked a woman's Toyota shortly after and left the van behind. He abandoned the stolen Toyota at a motel in Chatsworth. A short time later, he encountered Joseph Santos Ileto, a postal worker. Furrow asked Ileto to mail a letter for him. When Ileto agreed, Furrow shot him nine times.

Furrow left the area and traveled to Las Vegas. He eventually walked into an FBI office and confessed to the shootings, making clear his racist motivations. The police later found his abandoned van, where they discovered more weapons, ammunition, and materials related to hate groups.

Furrow was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including murder for the death of Ileto and counts of attempted murder for the shooting at the community center. Initially, he pleaded not guilty, but he later confessed to his crimes. On January 24, 2001, Furrow pleaded guilty to 16 felony counts. He received two consecutive life sentences and was ordered to pay restitution to the victims' families. He expressed no regrets for his actions during the sentencing.

In 2009, Furrow claimed to have renounced his previous beliefs and is currently incarcerated in a federal prison in Minnesota.