Christian Dornier was born on July 15, 1958, in Baume-les-Dames, France. He was the oldest child of Georges and Jeanne Dornier. He had a younger sister named Corinne and a brother named Serge. Growing up, Dornier was a reserved person. He enjoyed reading and working in the forest. However, according to his brother, he had no friends and often did not talk to anyone for weeks, even in the nearby village of Luxiol.

In 1981, Dornier served twelve months in the military. This experience seemed to have a negative impact on him. One and a half years before a tragic event, Dornier's father decided it was time to retire and planned to hand over the family farm to him in three years. To prepare, Dornier enrolled in a month-long agricultural course, but he left after just a week, feeling broken. Following this, his life changed drastically. He shaved his head, began to smoke, and stopped doing farm work. His behavior became violent, leading his father to decide not to pass the farm on to him after all.

Three months before the tragic incident, Dornier and his father bought a Volkswagen Golf GTI. This car was a way for him to feel he could leave the farm whenever he wanted. In the months leading up to the incident, Dornier fired shots at his father and at a neighbor named René Barrand. He also threw stones at a woman. These events were addressed at the village council, but it was decided that no action was needed since Dornier had no previous legal troubles. His family was advised to seek psychiatric help for him, and his father began to hide his guns.

Dornier was visited regularly by a psychiatrist who prescribed tranquilizers, but he reportedly did not take them. His parents thought about placing him in a psychiatric hospital. However, he became very angry when the doctor suggested it. As a result, his mother decided not to pursue that option.

In July 1989, Dornier experienced a nervous breakdown and did not attend his sister's wedding on July 8. Instead, he spent the day driving around the area. 

On July 12, 1989, Christian Dornier committed a series of shootings that resulted in the deaths of fourteen people and injuries to eight others. The events began when Dornier refused to have lunch with his family and moved his brother-in-law's car. He then hid a double-barrelled shotgun in the kitchen. As the car of a visitor, Marcel Lechine, arrived, Dornier mistakenly thought it was his brother, grabbed the gun, and fatally shot Lechine.

Dornier then turned the gun on his family. He killed his sister at point-blank range and injured his father. He pursued his father to a neighbor's house and shot him again. After returning home, Dornier shot his mother while she was on the phone calling the police. Following the attack on his family, he left the farm with more ammunition and began shooting people at random as he drove around.

His victims included two young boys riding their bikes, several elderly people, and a local teacher. He also shot at others, causing injuries among innocent bystanders. During his rampage, he killed a five-year-old girl, among others. Eventually, Dornier engaged in a shootout with police and was wounded before being taken into custody.

After the incident, he was charged with fourteen counts of murder and eight counts of attempted murder. Following evaluations, doctors diagnosed him with schizophrenia, declaring him not responsible for his actions. Dornier was confined to a psychiatric facility, where he has remained since.