George Pierre Hennard was born on October 15, 1956, in Sayre, Pennsylvania, to a Swiss-born surgeon and a homemaker. He had two younger siblings, Alan and Desiree. The family moved frequently due to his father's work at various army hospitals, eventually settling in New Mexico, where his father worked at the White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces.

After graduating from Mayfield High School in 1974, Hennard enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving for three years before being honorably discharged. He later worked as a merchant mariner but was dismissed for drug use. In the months leading up to the shooting, Hennard exhibited signs of mental instability, including expressing hatred toward women and racial minorities. He sent a five-page letter to two sisters in his neighborhood, filled with misogynistic and racist language.

On October 16, 1991, at approximately 12:39 p.m., George Hennard drove his 1987 Ford Ranger pickup truck through the plate-glass front window of a Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, during the lunchtime rush on Boss's Day. Approximately 150 people were inside the restaurant at the time.

After crashing into the restaurant, Hennard exited his vehicle and began shooting patrons and staff with two semi-automatic pistols: a 9mm Glock 17 and a Ruger P89. Witnesses reported that he targeted women specifically, shouting misogynistic remarks as he fired. Over the course of approximately 12 minutes, Hennard killed 23 people and wounded 27 others.

Police officers arrived on the scene and engaged Hennard in a brief shootout, during which he was wounded. Refusing to surrender, Hennard retreated to an area between the restrooms, where he ultimately shot himself in the head, dying at the scene.