Minnesota child-killer’s former Catholic school teacher reported him for signs of self-harm

Sarah Reely, a teacher who formerly taught at an all-boys Catholic high school that Westman attended, said in a Facebook post, "Back when Robin still went by the nickname Bob, I knew this was a kid who needed help. She was definitely odd, was really into furries and odd artwork and said some odd things, but wasn't violent towards others to my knowledge. Being odd isn't a red flag-- I was an odd kid myself and have always had a heart for the odd kids. She did not fit in well, as one might imagine would happen to a queer kid in a conservative environment, so I intentionally made a point to build a relationship with this student. She loved art and created this weird little sculpture as a gift that I lost in one of my moves but I kept a picture of it just like I keep pictures of all the quirky little artworks my students make."

"I reported a need for help because I saw the evidence of self-harm on her arms. Self harm is either a cry for help, an indication of self hate, or both. But it's always sign something is wrong. Then she transferred her again and she vanished. One of the hardest parts about being a teacher is knowing that once students leave our doors, we'll never see or hear from many of them ever again. Every teacher has a list in their hearts of former students they always think about and hope they are okay. 'Bob' (Robin) was on my list," Reely added in the post, but did not detail if Westman ever got help before the shooter "vanished."

The teacher went onto lament the reaction to the shooting from both the left and right as well as the polarization in the country, and added, "This is a big messy problem that I worry will NEVER be solved as long as our nation is so divided and everyone is so unwilling to bend, even as at-risk youth fall through the cracks and our children are being gunned down in their schools."

The teacher did not identify which school Westman attended; however, the New York Post reported that Reely had taught Saint Thomas Academy, which is an all-boys Catholic school that Westman previously attended.