KAJANG (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - What was supposed to be a quick trip to fetch his wife from work turned deadly when a father and his child were shot, killing the two-year-old on the spot.

In the incident at 9.45pm on Thursday (Nov 19), the man was standing in front of a florist shop along Jalan Besar in the town Semenyih, of Malaysia's state of Selangor, when an unidentified assailant opened fire.

Selangor CID chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Adnan Abdullah said investigations revealed that the suspect may have targeted the father.

"We believe that the toddler was hit by a stray bullet. She was pronounced dead by a medical team at the scene while the father was rushed to the Kajang Hospital," he said, adding that the victim was in critical condition.

DCP Mohd Adnan said police were still in the process of ascertaining the motive behind the attack.

Recalling the incident, a nearby shop operator who declined to be identified said things were normal until a car pulled over nearby.

"It happened in a blink of an eye. The girl, who was fondly known as Nisha, was playing in front of the shop while being monitored by her father.

"After awhile, the father decided to carry her. That was when someone pulled over and fired several shots. The next thing we know, they were already on the ground in a pool of blood," he said.

The operator added that over the past year the man would sometimes help his wife at the shop.

The case is being investigated for murder.