One of the crazed Minneapolis church killer’s teachers reported her then-student for signs of self-harm — but claimed the pleas on behalf of “a kid who needed help” went ignored.
Sarah Reely, an art educator at the all-boys, military style high school that Robin Westman attended before transitioning to a woman, described the future mass shooter as “definitely odd,” and said the then teenager did not fit in with the other students.
“Back when Robin still went by the nickname Bob, I knew this was a kid who needed help,” Reely wrote on Facebook, along with a photograph of a “weird little sculpture” Westman had made for her under her tutelage.
Robin Westman “did not fit in well” with other students, a former teacher said. Minneapolis Public Schools/YouTubeWestman “was definitely odd, was really into furries and odd artwork and said some odd things, but wasn’t violent towards others to my knowledge,” Reely added. “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.”
According to Reely, Westman had “evidence of self-harm” on his arms — and the art teacher reported the “need for help.”
But it’s unclear if the school took action before Westman transferred out and “vanished,” the teacher wrote.
“Self harm is either a cry for help, an indication of self hate, or both. But it’s always sign something is wrong,” Reely wrote.
Art teacher Sarah Reely shared an image of a sculpture Westman had made for her. Facebook/Sarah Lenore Reely“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.”
Asked whether the warning signs were missed, Reely told WCCO: “I don’t know if they were missed. I noticed. I think it’s a lack of preparation, a lack of knowing what to do, a lack of resources.”
Reely did not identify the school, saying only that it wasn’t the Montessori school where she currently teaches elementary art.
“Thank you for reaching out, but no thank you,” she told The Post when asked for further comment. “I’ve already said what I needed to say and I’m trying to focus on getting my lessons ready for the school year.”
Reely shared her connection with Westman in a Facebook post. Facebook/Sarah Lenore ReelyBut an online pamphlet and her LinkedIn profile shows Reely once taught at Saint Thomas Academy, a Catholic all-boys school where students are called cadets, dress in uniforms and are trained in military leadership.
Saint Thomas Academy did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Westman, who changed his name from Robert to Robin in 2020, briefly attended Saint Thomas, after spending just three months at a Minnesota Transitions Charter School, which is dedicated to students who struggle in traditional school environments.
Two kids were killed and dozens others injured when Westman unleashed her mass shooting. Christopher Oquendo for NY Post“It just didn’t work out,” said a Minnesota Transitions administrator, who asked not to be identified, told The Star Tribune. “That happens with a lot of kids who come here. There were no behavior things that we know about.”
It is unclear how long Westman, who ultimately graduated from Southwest High School in Minneapolis in 2021, was at Saint Thomas Academy.
Video grabs show weapons and diary entry manifestos in English and Russian posted to a youtube page for Westman roughly at the same time as the shooting. Robin W/YouTubeWestman had also attended the Annunciation Church and Catholic School, where more than 116 shell casings were recovered from the deadly shooting scene.
Westman killed Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, who were praying in the pews of Annunciation Church just before 8:30 a.m. when a hail of bullets broke through the church’s stained glass windows.
Several more victims, including 12-year-old Sophie Forchas and 13-year-old Endre Gunter remained in the hospital Saturday in critical condition.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.






