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 three are thought to be British - a husband and wife, and a grandmother. They were found near Lake Annecy, a popular tourist destination.
The girl had been under the legs of one of the women. An older girl from the family was found shot outside the car, in a critical condition.
A local cyclist had been killed nearby.
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, and 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.
It was not until 23:00 (21:00 GMT) that local police found out from the family's neighbours at a nearby campsite that the family had a second daughter, and launched a new search involving a helicopter and police dogs, one report says.
A major murder investigation is now under way, with French forensic teams and ballistics experts at the scene.
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.
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.
"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."
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.
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 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.
British consular staff are on the way to the scene to work with French authorities, an FCO spokesman said.
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