Nathaniel R. Brazill was born on September 22, 1986, in Florida, U.S. As a child, Nathaniel grew up in a difficult environment that included domestic abuse and alcoholism at home. 

On May 26, 2000, Nathaniel Brazill, a seventh-grade student, shot and killed his English teacher, Barry Grunow, at Lake Worth Middle School in Florida. This tragic event occurred on the last day of the school year. Earlier that same day, Brazill had been sent home from school for throwing a water balloon. He returned home, took a .25-caliber handgun, and went back to school. Once in the classroom, Brazill shot Grunow once in the head.

Brazill was charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault for pointing the gun at another teacher. He was tried as an adult. The jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, but they did not convict him of first-degree murder, which would have required proof of premeditation. This meant he did not face a mandatory life sentence. Instead, Brazill was sentenced to 28 years in state prison, followed by seven years of probation.

After the shooting, Pam Grunow, Barry Grunow's widow, pursued legal action against several parties. She sued the friend of the Brazill family who owned the handgun, the Palm Beach County School Board, and the pawn shop that sold the gun. These cases were settled for over $1 million. Grunow also sued the gun manufacturer and initially received a jury verdict of $1.2 million, but this was later overturned by the trial judge.

Nathaniel Brazill is serving his sentence at the Wakulla Correctional Institution Annex. His release date is set for May 18, 2028. While in prison, he earned his GED and became certified as a paralegal.