The Lost Sons of Omaha by Joe Sexton is an in depth look at a shooting/murder during the protests after George Floyd's murder, as well as the aftermath of that killing.

The incident got enough news coverage that many readers will have heard about it and likely, based on their views (we are, after all, living in a partisan society), have an opinion about guilt, innocence, and everything in between. I came to the book with such an opinion and it didn't change it very much. I'm not sure that is the purpose of the book, our views on what constitutes justifiable homicide will differ and the basic elements of the case haven't changed.

What Sexton did for me was help me to see beyond simply taking a side. To the extent justice should be a common goal, there shouldn't be sides, just different ideas of justice. No matter where one stands, there are some things that make this a sad event not only for Omaha but for our society as a whole. These were two human beings, with friends and family who loved them. Neither of them should have had to die, property damage is not a capital offense and standing trial for taking the life of another human being shouldn't be avoided by taking one's life, take responsibility instead.

Sexton shows that even events where we can easily make a snap judgement about right or wrong is never quite so straightforward. The line is not so definitive between the two and, even if you place most of the responsibility on one side, there is more to their story than just that one moment.

I recommend this to those interested in our current struggles for social justice as well as those who like to know more about events we have an awareness of. I guess true crime buffs might also enjoy this, though I wonder whether the partisanship we are currently living with will make this as enjoyable for those interested in the story as crime rather than sociology or psychology or even politics.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )