It didn’t get any hotter than the summer of 1977 in New York City. As temperatures soared well into the hundreds for endless days, the city was seared by more than heat. Looters poured into the streets as a blackout plunged New York into darkness and fear and a mysterious psychopath began gunning down strangers in the night at random.

Dubbed “Son of Sam” by the tabloids, the .44-caliber killer terrorized the city with a steady streak of grisly slayings. With the media playing an integral role in fueling the fear and paranoia, the whole city became a hotbed of suspicion and panic, captivating not only New York, but also the entire world.