Bernie Goetz, 'Subway Vigilante,' Declares He's 'A Better Person Now'

Decades after his infamous 1984 shooting on a New York City subway, Goetz reflects on how the experience changed him.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 9:39pm

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Newspapers recently wrote about Bernie Goetz, the 'subway vigilante' who shot four men on a New York City subway in 1984. Columnist Cindy Adams, who covered Goetz's trial, spoke with him and reports that after a brief prison stint, Goetz now considers the experience an 'uplifting, educational, improving' one that has made him 'a better person.' Goetz, an eccentric figure, says he now spends his time caring for injured squirrels and reflecting on the racial dynamics of the infamous incident.

Why it matters

The 1984 subway shooting by Bernie Goetz was a seminal moment that highlighted racial tensions and debates around self-defense and vigilantism in New York City. Decades later, Goetz's reflections provide a window into how he has grappled with the legacy of the incident and how it has shaped his life.

The details

In 1984, Goetz shot four young Black men on a New York City subway after they allegedly approached him and asked for $5. Goetz claimed self-defense, but the shooting sparked outrage and a high-profile trial that 'fried half of America.' After a brief prison stint, Goetz told columnist Cindy Adams that he now considers the experience an 'uplifting, educational, improving' one that has made him 'a better person.' Goetz, an electronics technician, also said the incident was 'opposite racial problems' with 'whites against him, blacks against me.' He now spends his time caring for injured squirrels and says he's become a better vegetarian.

  • In 1984, Goetz shot four men on a New York City subway.

The players

Bernie Goetz

The 'subway vigilante' who shot four men on a New York City subway in 1984, claiming self-defense. He later reflected on the incident, saying it made him 'a better person.'

Barry Slotnick

Goetz's now-retired brilliant attorney who represented him during the high-profile trial.

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What they’re saying

“I want to run for mayor.”

— Bernie Goetz (New York Post)

“In my case, it made me a better person. I therefore consider the whole thing an uplifting, educational, improving experience.”

— Bernie Goetz (New York Post)

“I'm now a better person. And definitely a better vegetarian. And I'm taking care of squirrels. One I found in Union Square Park. I feed him and he comes back to me. I don't train him. I teach him. Train is for something wild. My definition of 'wild' is a creature that eats another creature.”

— Bernie Goetz (New York Post)

The takeaway

Goetz's reflections on the infamous 1984 subway shooting incident highlight how perspectives can shift over time, and how an individual can come to view a traumatic event as a 'uplifting, educational, improving experience' that made them a 'better person.' This underscores the complex and often contradictory ways in which high-profile events can shape an individual's life and legacy.