Bernie Goetz, once famously known as 'the subway vigilante,' gained notoriety after he shot four Black teenagers on a New York City subway train in December 1984. His actions sparked a national debate on race, justice, and vigilantism in America, making his name synonymous with an era marked by rising crime rates and rampant fear. Over time, the memory of Goetz's case faded, particularly among younger generations and outside of the United States, where it is largely forgotten.

Recently, interest in his story has been rekindled with the release of two significant books. The first is 'Five Bullets. The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York’s Explosive ’80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation' by Elliot Williams, a former prosecutor who examines the implications of Goetz's actions. The second, 'Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage' by Heather Ann Thompson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, contextualizes Goetz's actions within a broader historical and sociopolitical framework, highlighting issues of urban crime, race relations, and the rise of white anger during the 1980s.

These new narratives around Goetz's case not only illuminate the complexities surrounding the events but also reflect ongoing societal tensions regarding race and justice in contemporary America. As discussions surrounding vigilante justice and systemic racism resurface, Goetz’s story presents a lens through which these enduring issues can be examined, revealing how past events continue to resonate in current public discourse.