Five Bullets

The Story of Bernie Goetz, New York's Explosive '80s, and the Subway Vigilante Trial That Divided the Nation

By: Elliot Williams

Narrated by: Elliot Williams

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2026 by The New York Times and The Washington Post

"Read this book to understand human nature." (Preet Bharara) • "An amazing story, well told.” (Anderson Cooper) • "A masterful telling." (Dahlia Lithwick)
From CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams, a revelatory account of how one man, four teenagers, and a struggling city collided over race, vigilantism, and public safety . . . exposing the fault lines of a nation

On a dirty New York subway car on December 22, 1984, Bernhard Goetz shot Barry Allen, Darrell Cabey, Troy Canty, and James Ramseur, four teenagers from the Bronx, at point blank range. Goetz claimed they were going to mug him; the teens claim that one of them had simply asked for five dollars.

Crime was at an all-time high. So was racial tension. Was Goetz, who was white, a hero who finally fought back? Or a bigot whose itchy trigger finger seriously wounded three unarmed black kids and condemned a fourth to irreversible brain damage? By the time Goetz went on trial for quadruple attempted murder, the “Subway Vigilante” saga had become a global sensation, and New Yorkers across race and class were split over whether he deserved decades in prison…or a medal.

In Five Bullets, Elliot Williams vaults back to gritty 1980s Manhattan and reexamines the first major true-crime story of the cable news era. Drawing on archives and interviews with many main characters, including Goetz, Williams presents a masterful and vivid tale that also tells the origin stories of larger-than-life figures: Al Sharpton, a polarizing young local activist rocketing to national prominence; Rudy Giuliani, a rising-star prosecutor with an important decision to make; the NRA, which needed a poster boy for its transition from hunting club to political juggernaut; and Rupert Murdoch, whose new purchase, the New York Post, grew his empire by keeping a scary story in the headlines.

A shocking account of a pivotal moment in our history, Five Bullets demonstrates why, in order to understand today’s debates about race, crime, safety, and the media, it’s imperative to reflect on what went down in the subway four decades ago. As Williams’s powerful narrative reveals, it was not just Goetz on trial, but the conscience of a nation.

Crazy 80s

I wanted to listen to this book because I can remember the Gaetz shooting vividly - even though I was only six years old when it happened. My grandmother was a news junkie and had talk radio on all day long. She also had very strong opinions, opinions that she frequently expressed to her six year old granddaughter. I’m glad that I finally am able to know about these events from all sides, put them into context, and formulate a more informed opinion.

Exceptionally Well-Narrated

I had a completely positive reaction to this audiobook. In fact, I found Elliot Williams’s narration to be one of the most engaging and effective performances I’ve heard in quite some time.

Rather than “breathless” or “hysterical,” I found his delivery to be energetic, precise, and compelling. His pacing created momentum and tension that matched the gravity and complexity of the subject matter. The narration never felt amateurish — it felt intentional. The clarity of his phrasing and command of tone made the legal intricacies easy to follow without sacrificing depth.

What stood out most to me was how natural the reading felt. It didn’t sound overly dramatized or theatrically polished; it sounded authentic. Williams clearly understands his material at a deep level, and that confidence comes through in the narration. The story moves briskly but never feels rushed. Instead, it feels immersive.

I listened to the entire audiobook in just two days — something I rarely do — because I genuinely found it captivating. The narration enhanced the storytelling rather than distracting from it.

For listeners who appreciate an author narrating their own meticulously researched work — especially one with legal insight and narrative discipline — this audiobook is exceptionally well done.

Riveting, essential play-by-play of the trial that shook New York.

In Five Bullets, Elliot Williams delivers a riveting, essential play-by-play of the trial that shook New York. This timely, lawyerly deep dive provides a supportable and sound analysis of a case that continues to define our modern political culture.

Candid and In-Depth Account of Historic Case

Having grown up in NYC, I really appreciated how deep this book goes into the case. I especially appreciated learning all of the societal factors that contributed to the incident, national reactions, and how NYC went from its crime ridden near bankrupt state to what it is today. I plan to use it in the undergraduate and law school classes that I teach.

1980s NYC was like a different world

‘Five Bullets’ is the product of extensive research by Elliott Williams, including the participation of Bernard Goetz. While Goetz’s racism and vigilantism sounds familiar today, his unpunished shooting of five Black teens could only have taken place in an America in which juries pretended that race prejudice did not exist. Williams does a sensitive job of trying to recreate this environment, in which people of all colors feared public spaces in NYC. That fear led to the desperation exemplified by Bernie Goetz. A fascinating exploration of this case.