Barbara Walters to Interview Elliot Rodger's Dad

When Barbara Walters filmed her final episode of The View less than a month ago, the show was peppered with jokes about the iconic journalist never being able to give up completely on her career. Even Walters herself weighed on her retirement: "But who knows what the future brings? Instead of 'goodbye,' say, 'I'll be in touch. See you later.'" Now that seems to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, as three weeks later ABC announced Walters would interview Peter Rodger, Santa Barbara shooting suspect Elliot Rodger's father.

ABC News officials said that the interview with Hunger Games assistant director Rodger will air as a special edition of 20/20, with no date specified as of now. ABC always maintained that Walters would be available for special projects. And this? One would say it falls under that category.

Rodger specifically requested Walters to conduct the interview. His son, Elliot, is suspected of killing six people and injuring over a dozen more in last month's Isla Vista massacre.

This will be the first interview that Rodger has after the tragedy. The day after the killings, the family released a statement:

The Rodger family offers their deepest compassion and sympathy to the families involved in this terrible tragedy.

We are experiencing the most inconceivable pain, and our hearts go out to everybody involved.

Walters was on a post-retirement trip in Berlin when she got the call from ABC's head honchos.