Son of Sam Decries Gun Violence

Exactly 35 years after his 13-month killing spree came to an end, notorious NYC serial killer David Berkowitz, known as the Son of Sam, gave an interview to the New York Daily News in which he lamented gun violence and gave some insight into his reformed lifestyle. About 10 years after his arrest, he became a born again Christian, and now says he hopes that some day "guns will lose their glamour." He expresses sympathy for the victims of "senseless" gun violence, including those in Colorado and Wisconsin as well as the victims of his crimes. "Society has to take the glory out of guns," he says.

Burkowitz, now 59, says he is a different man from the "tormented" and "lost" killer that terrorized New York City. He spends his days working with prisoners suffering from mental illness, and says he finds solace acting as a mentor for his fellow inmates. In the late 1970s, Berkowitz shot 13 people, killing six. He remains behind bars and no longer seeks parole out of respect for his victims' families. “I’ll be the first to say that I don’t deserve to have my life spared,” he says, “but I believe God spared my life for me to do the things I’m doing now.” He says he wishes he could talk to "those gangbanging teens" and tell them, "If you're packing a gun, you're making a big mistake and you'll regret it." (More Son of Sam stories.)