Girl, 14, shot dead outside Pattani mosque

Girl, 14, shot dead outside Pattani mosque
The shooting scene in front of a mosque in Muang district of Pattani is cordoned off following the fatal attack on a girl. (Photo: Shaychaidantai, southern border news Facebook)
The shooting scene in front of a mosque in Muang district of Pattani is cordoned off following the fatal attack on a girl. (Photo: Shaychaidantai, southern border news Facebook)

A 14-year-old girl was shot dead in full view of her mother in front of a mosque in Muang district of Pattani province on Friday morning.

The shooting occurred in front of Darulanadwa TulIsalameeyah mosque at Surakalee village Moo 6, said Pol Col Jeffrey Saimankul, chief of Muang district police, who was reported at around 8.30am.

Police rushing to the scene found blood stains on a marble chair in front of the mosque and a spent bullet.

The girl was seriously wounded from the attack and rushed to a hospital. She was later pronounced dead.

According to a police investigation, the girl was talking with her mother as she was awaiting her father who was inside the mosque. At the time, a Toyota Sport Rider with Pattani licence plates with an unknown number of people on board drove past them, and two shots were fired from the vehicle. One bullet hit the girl in the chest in full view of her mother, as the vehicle sped off. 

Police alerted officers along the route to intercept the fleeing vehicle, and a manhunt had been launched.

Pol Col Jeffrey said police were examining security camera recordings along several routes.

He believed the girl might not be a target of the attack, but bullets missed the target and one hit her. Police were investigating.

There were reports that the attacker had surrendered to police.