A former teacher of the Minneapolis church shooter said she once observed signs of self-harm and believes the tragedy highlights deeper systemic failures.
An art teacher who once taught the Annunciation Catholic Church shooter in Minnesota said she saw early signs of self-harm years before the attack that killed two children and injured 18 worshippers.
Sarah Reely, who taught Robin Westman in 2017, said she noticed marks on the student’s arm and reported it. “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 in a Facebook post.
Reely described Westman, a transgender woman, as “odd” but not violent. She added: “Every murderer was once a kid in someone’s classroom who needed help, and this issue is so much deeper and more complicated than we want to admit.”
Police said Westman, 23, carried out Wednesday’s shooting dressed in tactical gear and armed with three guns. She later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities found about 120 shell casings at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting continues.