Thomas Harrison Provenzano was born on June 6, 1949, in the United States.

Thomas Harrison Provenzano committed his murders on January 10, 1984, at the Orange County courthouse in Orlando, Florida. He entered the courthouse armed with a shotgun, an assault rifle, a revolver, and a large amount of ammunition. His intention was to shoot a specific officer who had previously charged him with disorderly conduct. When two bailiffs approached him to conduct a search, Provenzano opened fire with his revolver.

During the shooting, he killed 60-year-old Deputy Sheriff William Arnold "Arnie" Wilkerson, who had served as a lieutenant commander in the Navy. Additionally, he wounded 53-year-old Deputy Sheriff Harry Dalton, who suffered severe brain damage and became partially paralyzed. Dalton subsequently died from his injuries in 1991. Nineteen-year-old Correctional Officer Mark Parker was also struck by gunfire as he tried to shield a civilian. Parker was paralyzed from the neck down and ultimately died in March 2009 due to complications from his injuries.

Provenzano was found guilty of the attacks and sentenced to death. After spending nearly 16 years on death row, he was executed by lethal injection on June 21, 2000, at Florida State Prison.