Tomorrow, Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm will release his findings in the investigation of the shooting death of Alvin Cole by Wauwatosa Police office Joseph Mensah.

Whatever his findings, some segment of the community will likely be upset. Without knowing what the judgment will be, I’d like to suggest of few things to keep in mind.

First, I highly recommend that, before coming to any conclusions, you carefully read the evidence upon which Chisholm made his decision, if that is available.

Second, this needs to be viewed as a tragedy. Alvin Cole was a seventeen year-old who brought a gun to a shopping mall; this was a grievous error, but not a capital crime. I think most of us can remember ourselves as 17 year olds and candidly admit that we made serious errors in judgment, or at least knew people who did. It’s easy for me to imagine Cole, like me, maturing and becoming a responsible citizen contributing to society. Sadly, he will not have that opportunity.

Third, an important difference between the seventeen-year-old me and Cole was that when I was his age, society was not awash in guns. I urge you to consider that the ubiquity of guns designed, manufactured, sold and purchased because they can kill human beings is a serious problem that we need to address, the Second Amendment notwithstanding.

Fourth, whether or not you believe that Joseph Mensah rightly feared for his life, or rightly discharged his weapon, consider the possibility that the Wauwatosa Police Department might learn from this tragedy and put a greater emphasis on de-escalating future events so that rash young people with guns might have the opportunity to grow into responsible adults. The decision to immediately apprehend Cole played a big part in his death. Perhaps a delayed arrest, if possible, would have saved everyone a lot of grief.

Finally, let’s not lose sight of the reality that people of color have long been treated unfairly, cruelly, and violently by individuals, groups and institutions in our society, and continue to suffer discrimination and injustice. Policing plays a significant role, as the deaths of Breanna Taylor and George Floyd make plain. But all white Americans have a responsibility to consider how they (we) can recognize and work to eliminate the everyday injustices suffered by our fellow citizens and human beings.

As Pope Paul IV wisely said, “If you want peace, work for justice.”