Richmond, Va. ? Virginia Tech officials might have saved lives if they had notified faculty and students sooner about the first two shootings on campus, a panel concluded in its investigation of the April rampage that left 33 dead.

“Warning the students, faculty and staff might have made a difference. … So the earlier and clearer the warning, the more chance an individual had of surviving,” said the report, which was released late Wednesday night.

However, the report concluded that while swifter warnings might have helped students and faculty protect themselves or alert authorities of suspicious activity, a lockdown on April 16 of the 131 buildings on campus was not feasible.

It may not have prevented the determined gunman, Seung-Hui Cho, from carrying out the shootings, the report said. As a student, he had access to campus buildings and the ability to get the same messages as everyone else. He could have gained access to a dormitory or begun shooting people in the open.

“From what we know of his mental state and commitment to action that day, it was likely that he would have acted out his fantasy somewhere on campus or outside it that same day,” the report said.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will address report findings in a news conference this morning.

The report also concluded that while Cho had demonstrated numerous signs of mental instability, the university did not intervene effectively.

The panel sharply criticized the university’s counseling center, where Cho was referred for treatment in 2005 after a stretch of bizarre behavior and concerns that he was suicidal. The panel concluded that the center failed to provide needed support and services to Cho, due to a lack of resources, misinterpretation of privacy laws and passivity.

Cho showed signs of mental health problems as far back as middle school, the panel found.

Individuals and departments at Tech were aware of incidents that warned of his mental instability in his junior year, but “did not intervene effectively. No one knew all the information and no one connected all the dots,” the report said.

Cho killed the first two students just after 7 a.m.

It wasn’t until 9:26 a.m. that the school sent the first e-mail to students and faculty.

The subject line read, “Shooting on campus.” The message read: “The university community is urged to be cautious and are asked to contact Virginia Tech Police if you observe anything suspicious or with information on the case.”

No further action was ordered. Cho began shooting inside Norris Hall about 20 minutes later. He later killed himself.