Martin Peyerl was born on August 11, 1983, in Bad Reichenhall, Germany. He was the younger of two children in his family. His parents, Rudolf and Theresa Peyerl, raised him in a home located at Riedelstraße 12. Martin's father, Rudolf, was a twelve-year veteran of the German Army and had a strong interest in firearms. He owned many guns, which influenced Martin's own interests.

As a child, Martin was described as introverted. He struggled to fit in at school and often felt like an outsider. He had an alcoholic father who was frequently without a job, which could have affected his early life and experiences. Martin enjoyed shooting and was an avid gun enthusiast, purchasing magazines about firearms. He sometimes claimed to go into the woods looking for birds to shoot and practiced shooting with his father in their garage.

In school, Martin was described by some classmates as a shy loner. He preferred to play video games to socializing with others. Though he was generally seen as nice, many students ignored him. A few months before November 1999, he faced temporary expulsion from school for displaying Nazi photographs in his notebook. At the time, he was an apprentice learning to become a locksmith.

Neighbors described Martin as a normal, though reserved, boy. However, some reports mentioned that he had traits that could be viewed negatively. A psychiatrist labeled him a "loser type." Comments from his classmates suggested that he had some right-wing views. In the days leading up to November 1, 1999, Martin commented on the actions of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre. He mentioned that what they did was "completely crazy" but also said their actions were something they should do.

On 1 November 1999, Martin Peyerl's parents left home to visit a grave, and he chose to stay behind. While they were gone, he accessed his father's gun cabinet and took a Ruger Mini-14. Around noon, his sister, Daniela, came home from work. A struggle occurred between them, and Martin shot Daniela five times, killing her.

Afterward, Martin took position at his bedroom window and began shooting at people outside. He killed two neighbors, 59-year-old Ruth Zillenbiller and 60-year-old Horst Zillenbiller. He also shot 54-year-old Karl-Heinz Lietz, who was a patient at the hospital across the street. In total, seven others were injured, including an actor named Günter Lamprecht.

Following the shootings, Martin shot his family cat and then turned a shotgun on himself, taking his own life in the bathtub.

When the police arrived at the house at around 6 PM, they found the bodies of both siblings and the cat. In Martin's room, they discovered swastikas and other Nazi symbols painted on the walls, as well as videos and CDs containing violent content.

The incident led to calls for changes in firearm legislation in Germany. The police interviewed Martin's parents as part of their investigation. Although there were discussions about possible motives, the head of the investigation stated that drugs, alcohol, or ideology were not factors. He suggested the issues lay within Martin's personality. Martin’s actions were viewed as planned, rather than spontaneous, although he left no clear explanation behind.