Governor Tim Kaine’s panel appointed to investigate the Virginia Tech shootings says the university failed to properly care for a mentally troubled student gunman and waited too long to warn faculty and students after he killed his first two victims in a dormitory.

It says that lives could have been saved if university officials had not waited more than two hours to tell the campus about the initial shootings. Seung-Hui Cho ended his shooting spree by killing 30 more students and teachers in a classroom building, and then himself.

Here is a summary of the key findings:

· Seung Hui Cho showed signs of mental health problems during his childhood. His middle and high schools responded well to these signs.

· In 1999, after the Columbine shootings, Cho's middle school teachers observed suicidal and homicidal ideas in his writings and recommended psychiatric counseling, which he received. It was at this point that he received medication for a short time.

· During Cho's junior year at Virginia Tech, numerous incidents occurred that were clear warnings of mental instability.

· University officials explained their failure to communicate with one another or with Cho's parents because they believed such communications were prohibited by federal laws.
·

 The Cook Counseling Center and the university's Care Team failed to provided needed support and services to Cho.

· Virginia's mental health laws are flawed and services for mental health users are inadequate.

· There is widespread confusion about what federal and state privacy laws allow.

· Virginia Tech and Blacksburg Police responded quickly and well to the initial shootings at West Ambler Johnston Hall.

· Virginia Tech Police may have erred in prematurely concluding their initial lead in the double homicide was a good one. They did not take sufficient action to deal with what might happen if the initial lead proved erroneous.

· Senior university administrators failed to issue an all-campus notification about the WAJ killings until almost two hours had elapsed. This may have conflicted with written policies.

· The police response at Norris Hall was prompt and effective, as was triage and evacuation of the wounded.

· Emergency and medical care following the shootings was provided very effectively both onsite and at hospitals. 

· Cho's motives for the shootings remain unknown to police or the panel.
 
The panel's findings have been released on Governor Tim Kaine's website at http://www.governor.virginia.gov/TempContent/techPanelReport.cfm

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