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France shootings: Girl hid under bodies in car France shootings: Girl hid under bodies in car
(about 2 hours later)
A four-year-old girl has been found hiding inside a British-registered car in which three bodies were discovered eight hours earlier, French police say.A four-year-old girl has been found hiding inside a British-registered car in which three bodies were discovered eight hours earlier, French police say.
The bodies of two women and a male driver - all thought to be British - were found near Lake Annecy in the Alps on Thursday. A cyclist, said to be a local man, was found shot dead nearby. The three are thought to be British, a husband and wife, and a grandmother.
Officials said the unharmed girl was hiding under one of the bodies. The bodies were found near Lake Annecy, a popular tourist destination, on Thursday. An older girl from the family was found shot outside the car, in a critical condition.
A second, older girl was lying in the road and is in a critical condition. A local cyclist was found shot dead nearby.
Police say the driver of the BMW was a UK citizen and they believe all those dead in the vehicle were part of a British family on holiday. French police say they are shocked and baffled by the brutality of the shooting, in the middle of the afternoon, in a popular tourist region, says the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Annecy.
The girl found away from the car, thought to be seven or eight years old, was shot three times and seriously injured, the younger daughter, only four, hid beneath her mother, and was not even found until midnight, our correspondent says.
The younger girl was initially not spotted inside the BMW estate car, as local police waited for the arrival of the forensic scientists from Paris.
A major murder investigation is now under way, with French forensic teams and ballistics experts at the scene. The area has been sealed off.
Some 15 spent cartridges from an automatic pistol were found at the crime scene.
Theories for the motive behind the brutal attack include an armed robbery gone wrong, a drug deal interrupted, even a family row, our correspondent says.
Prosecutor Eric Maillaud said the family was on a camping holiday on the edge of Lake Annecy in the Haute-Savoie region.
"Given what we see, it is certain that a criminal line of inquiry is to be number one,"said the prosecutor." After that, all theories are possible, it could also be in absolute a family drama, this is not excluded," Mr Maillaud added.
Head of the investigation Benoit Vinnemann said: "The three bodies found in the car appear to be the father, mother and grandmother.
"It is in any case a family, according to British people at the Saint Jorioz camping site who reported their disappearance on Wednesday night," he added.
Identity search
The British Foreign Office (FCO) is trying to establish their identities.The British Foreign Office (FCO) is trying to establish their identities.
Prosecutor Eric Maillaud said the little girl, who spoke English, was found hiding under the legs of one of the women at about midnight local time (22:00 GMT). Mr Maillaud said the little girl, who spoke English, was found hiding under the legs of one of the women at about midnight local time (22:00 GMT).
He said the girl, who is being looked after by French authorities, was only found when special investigators reached the scene - long after police had sealed off the area.He said the girl, who is being looked after by French authorities, was only found when special investigators reached the scene - long after police had sealed off the area.
"She was hidden under the bodies for some eight hours and didn't move for the whole time," he said."She was hidden under the bodies for some eight hours and didn't move for the whole time," he said.
He added: "The little girl spoke English. She had heard the noises, the cries, but she couldn't say more - she is only four years old."He added: "The little girl spoke English. She had heard the noises, the cries, but she couldn't say more - she is only four years old."
The older girl, variously reported as aged seven or eight, was taken by helicopter to hospital. The older girl , who was taken by helicopter to hospital, was said to be in a more stable condition on Thursday morning, according to officials.
She was said to be in a more stable condition on Thursday morning, according to officials.
The older girl was initially reported to have died of her injuries but Mr Maillaud, who had announced her death, later issued a correction.The older girl was initially reported to have died of her injuries but Mr Maillaud, who had announced her death, later issued a correction.
Mr Maillaud said the family was on a camping holiday on the edge of Lake Annecy in the Haute-Savoie region, a popular tourist destination.
The bodies were found in a car park in a quiet, forested area in the foothills of the Alps.The bodies were found in a car park in a quiet, forested area in the foothills of the Alps.
The identity of the cyclist found shot nearby has not yet been established.
Another cyclist who came across the scene at about 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Wednesday was said to be in shock.Another cyclist who came across the scene at about 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Wednesday was said to be in shock.
British consular staff arrived in Grenoble on Thursday morning and are on the way to the scene to work with French authorities, an FCO spokesman said.British consular staff arrived in Grenoble on Thursday morning and are on the way to the scene to work with French authorities, an FCO spokesman said.
The area has been sealed off by police, who have started a criminal investigation into what they are calling a multiple murder.
Some 15 spent cartridges from an automatic pistol were found at the crime scene.
Head of the investigation, Benoit Vinnemann, said: "The three bodies found in the car appear to be the father, mother and grandmother.
"It is in any case a family, according to British people at the Saint Jorioz camping site who reported their disappearance on Wednesday night," he added.