BREAKING NEWS

Uvalde police commander who delayed assault on mass shooter is put on leave

The school district police chief who delayed launching an assault on a mass shooter who slaughtered 19 school children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, has been placed on administrative leave, the schools' superintendent said in a statement on Wednesday.

Chief Pete Arredondo was in charge of the law enforcement response in Uvalde on May 24 and will be replaced by Lieutenant Mike Hernandez, the statement said.

The head of the Texas Department of Public Safety on Tuesday labeled that response "an abject failure" for failing to intervene immediately while the shooter was still holed up in the classroom where children were slain.