Campo Elías Delgado Morales was born on May 14, 1934, in Chinácota, Colombia. He was the son of Elías Delgado and Rita Elisa Morales. He had one sister, who did not get along with him and held resentment towards him. In 1941, when he was just seven years old, he witnessed his father commit suicide. This event had a lasting impact on him, and he blamed his mother for it throughout his life. Despite these challenges, Delgado was known to be an excellent student, and he pursued studies in medicine.

As a young adult, Delgado moved to New York City. During this time, he found himself living on the streets before returning to Bogotá after a confrontation with a thief. Back in Bogotá, he supported himself by teaching private English lessons. He also enrolled in graduate studies at the Universidad Javeriana. However, he faced difficulty in forming friendships, which he attributed to his complicated relationship with his mother. Over time, his feelings of resentment towards her grew stronger.

In August 1975, Delgado joined the United States Army and served until August 1978, achieving the rank of Sergeant First Class. His military service included time in the Panama Canal Zone. He was later stationed at the Army's medical center in El Paso, Texas.

On December 3, 1986, Campo Elías Delgado entered the Banco de Bogotá to close his bank account. He withdrew COP$49,896.93, insisting to receive every cent. Later that day or the next morning, he purchased a .32-caliber revolver and 500 rounds of ammunition.

The following day, on December 4, around 2:00 p.m., Delgado went to an apartment building and entered an apartment where a woman named Nora Becerra de Rincón lived with her daughter Claudia. Delgado attacked them, gagging and binding them. He killed Nora with multiple stab wounds and then fatally stabbed Claudia. Later, he returned to his mother's apartment, where he killed her following an argument.

After killing his mother, Delgado pretended there was a fire in the building, running through the complex and knocking on doors for help. When residents opened their doors, he shot them. He killed multiple women in separate apartments and continued to scream for assistance as part of his ruse.

Around 6:45 p.m., Delgado left the apartment complex and visited a family he knew, talking excessively before leaving to go to a restaurant named Pizzería Pozzetto. He arrived at the restaurant around 7:15 p.m. and ordered food and drinks. After finishing his meal, he began shooting at the diners around 9:15 p.m. He shot a total of 32 people, resulting in 20 fatalities.

Delgado's shooting spree ended when police arrived at the scene. He was shot in the head, with reports suggesting it was either a police bullet or possible suicide. This incident became known as the Pozzetto Massacre, marking one of the deadliest shooting events by a lone gunman in Colombia's history.