An 11-year-old girl died after she was gunned down by a stray bullet in a bungled drive-by shooting.

Hitmen on a motor-scooter had intended to kill a male victim as they rode along a pavement in the Bronx, New York City, USA.

CCTV footage of the attempted hit shows the gunman riding pillion turning to fire behind him over his shoulder at the intended target running away.

But as the man escaped apparently unhurt, a stray bullet hit the 11-year-old – not named by police – in the abdomen at 4.50pm on 16th May on 166th Street and Fox Street.

New York Police Department assistant chief Philip Rivera said two men on a scooter were chasing another man on Fox Street when the suspect riding pillion opened fire on the fleeing target.

The victim was taken to hospital in a critical condition but later died of her injuries.

NYPD are continuing to look for the two suspects on the scooter as well as their intended target.

Images of the suspects as they apparently carry out the street shooting with an appeal for information.

Police deputy chief Timothy McCormack said: “This is very, very difficult for us to accept.

“This is the second child that’s shot in this borough this year. An 11-month-old and now an 11-year-old.

“It is troubling that this is happening in our society today.”

McCormack referred to a baby girl who was shot in the face by a stray bullet while sitting with her mum in a parked car in the Bronx in January.

The latest shooting comes at a time when New York City is experiencing a 41 per cent surge in major crimes so far this year when compared to the same period in 2021, according to NYPD crime statistics.

More than 520 people have been shot dead in the Democratic Party-controlled city so far this year.

The investigation into the 11-year-old’s death is ongoing.