220623 Arredondo
Uvalde Police Chief Pete Arredondo speaks at a press conference following the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, U.S., May 24, 2022. Image Credit: AFP

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.