Iván Jesús Arancibia Navarro was born on February 12, 1952, in Valparaíso, Chile. He grew up in a typical family but faced significant challenges in his early life. His parents divorced when he was young. After the divorce, his mother remarried and had another child. This change made Iván feel rejected and lonely. He had a brother named Sergio, who later took his own life after going through a divorce. These events affected Iván deeply and contributed to his introverted nature.

From a young age, Iván showed a strong interest in science. He excelled in his studies and went on to study physics pedagogy at the Pedagogical Institute, which is now part of Playa Ancha University in Valparaíso. After completing his education, he married Gabriela Chandía, a basic teacher. The couple had three children together.

In 1976, during a time of political unrest in Chile, Iván left the country due to the military dictatorship. He sought refuge in Sweden, where he worked as a teacher and specialized in systems analysis at the University of Gothenburg. While Iván was in Sweden, Gabriela remained in Chile to complete her studies. After a short period in Ecuador, Iván returned to Chile in 1989, by which time he had separated from Gabriela. He reconnected with Heidi Aguad, a student he had met before his marriage, and they had a daughter named Tamara in 1996.

By 1991, Iván joined the teaching staff of the Municipal Corporation of Valparaíso. He became known for his strict teaching style and high academic standards. This led to many complaints from students and parents about his methods, creating conflict in his career. Despite the challenges he faced in his professional life, Iván was deeply interested in his subject and wanted his students to succeed.

On December 17, 1999, Iván Jesús Arancibia Navarro carried out a series of violent acts at two schools in Valparaíso, Chile. Early that morning, at around 9 AM, he visited the engineering faculty of the Catholic University of Valparaíso. He ordered nearly 200 photocopies of a pamphlet that he wrote, which claimed to offer a method for generating free energy using water. This unusual behavior was a sign of his deteriorating mental state.

At approximately 11:15 AM, he arrived at the B-29 Valparaíso High School, where he had previously worked. He was there with his three-year-old daughter, Tamara. Inside the school, he went to the office of the school director, Eliseo Nogué Gutiérrez. After a brief conversation, Arancibia produced a 7.65 mm Lorcin pistol from a gift-wrapped box and shot Nogué multiple times, killing him. He then shot his daughter, Tamara, in a similar manner, using a garbage bag as a silencer. The bodies of both victims were not discovered until later that morning.

At around 11:20 AM, Arancibia walked seven blocks to the Eduardo de la Barra Valparaíso High School, where he entered the office of Luis Inocencio Alvear, the education director for the Municipal Corporation of Valparaíso. He repeated his violent actions, shooting Inocencio at close range before attempting to shoot another official, Víctor Quezada. Realizing he had already fired most of his bullets, Arancibia decided to take his own life. He shot himself in the mouth, but he survived the attempt.

Arancibia was hospitalized for two months following the incident. During this time, he was arrested and charged with two counts of homicide and one count of parricide. He underwent various psychiatric evaluations and was declared mentally unfit for trial. In September 2001, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity, diagnosed with delusional psychosis. He spent several years in a psychiatric hospital before being discharged.

On December 27, 2011, Arancibia, overwhelmed by remorse for his actions, committed suicide at his parents' home.