The Daily Signal ‘Five Bullets:’ CNN Legal Analyst Explains the Subway Vigilante Case That Split New York
Jan 31, 2026
Elliot Williams, CNN legal analyst and author of Five Bullets, revisits the 1984 Bernie Goetz subway shooting with legal and historical perspective. He explores 1980s New York fear and crime, the shooting and trial strategy, media sensationalism, political fallout, gun law dynamics, and what happened to the people involved. Short, sharp, and provocative storytelling.
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Fear Shaped Public Reaction
- 1980s New York had roughly 2,000 homicides a year and widespread disorder, creating pervasive public fear.
- That climate made many citizens praise vigilante acts as filling a perceived policing gap.
Subway Shooting And Flight
- Bernard Goetz boarded the downtown 2 express and, after one rider demanded or asked for $5, shot four teenagers in succession.
- He then fled to New Hampshire, hid for days, and ultimately turned himself in.
Confession Tape Became Defense Strategy
- Goetz was acquitted of violent crime after his defense played his own confession to convey fear to jurors.
- The risky tactic succeeded and even led the lead lawyer to buy his partner a 1985 Isuzu Trooper as a bet payoff.
