Nathan Dunlap had his fair share of struggles growing up. His father was absent and his mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Nathan had several mental health issues as a child, with two suicide attempts before he was 14. He was also diagnosed with hypomania as a teenager. His troubles with the law started early as he was arrested several times for robbery and drug possession. In 1993, he started working at the Chuck E Cheese's in Aurora, CO. He had an argument with his manager over his hours and this got him fired. This was the final straw as he would later come back to the restaurant with revenge in mind.