13 September 2012 Last updated at 07:08 ET

Q&A: Shootings near Lake Annecy, France

A multiple shooting in a car park near Lake Annecy has shocked and mystified people in the French holiday destination.

Here the BBC News website pieces together what we know of the crime that left four adults dead, a child badly injured and a little girl traumatised.

Where did the shootings take place?

In an isolated forest car park, 4km (2.5 miles) from the nearest habitation. The nearest village is the hamlet of Chevaline, located in countryside popular with walkers and campers near the lake in France's Alpine region of Haute Savoie.

Who were the victims in the car?

Two members of a UK-based family on holiday in France. Saad al-Hilli, an Iraqi-born British citizen from the English county of Surrey, was found dead in his BMW car along with the bodies of his wife Iqbal and her 74-year-old mother, who held a Swedish passport. French prosecutor Eric Maillaud said Mr al-Hilli's wife held an Iraqi passport. Their daughter Zainab, seven, was found shot and beaten. Another daughter Zeena, four, was found hiding under bodies in the car. While physically unscathed, she was "completely in shock and completely frozen", Mr Maillaud said.

Who was the fourth person killed?

Close to the car, the body of a cyclist was found. He has been named by French officials as Sylvain Mollier, a 45-year-old father of three who worked at a firm in the area. A second cyclist, a British ex-RAF pilot, discovered Mr Mollier's body when he came across the BMW.

When did the crime occur?

The British cyclist arrived at the scene at 15:50 (13:50 GMT) on 5 September. The car's engine was still running and he recognised Mr Mollier as a cyclist who had overtaken him on the road. After tending to Zainab, who was outside the car with horrific head injuries, the British man phoned emergency services at 16:00. When police arrived they did not see Zeena. She was only found at midnight when forensics officers opened the car.

Are there any clues as to the killer or killers?

Several witnesses reported seeing a car speeding away from the scene around the time the attack took place. According to the British cyclist, this was a "green or other dark-coloured four-wheel drive car". There were also reports of a motorcycle. No arrests were made in the immediate aftermath of the attack nor did police report the discovery of any weapon at the scene. However, 25 spent cartridges were found at the scene. "It was clearly an act of extreme savagery and it was obvious that whoever did this wanted to kill," said Mr Maillaud. He would not say if the nature of the attack suggested the work of a professional killer, but said the victims had been "targeted" rather than shot in a hail of indiscriminate fire. Police sources, quoted by two news agencies, say ballistics tests on the cartridges found at the scene show the same weapon, a 7.65mm calibre semi-automatic pistol, was used to kill all four people.

Has any motive been suggested for the attack?

Mr Maillaud has said "the reasons and causes" for the killings have their "origins" in the UK. He has confirmed three areas were being probed: Engineer Mr al-Hilli's work, his family connections, and a possible Iraq link. However, a suggestion of a dispute between Mr Hilli and his brother over money has been denied by the brother. And for their part prosecutors said they view such speculation with caution and only intended to interview him "as a witness... just like any other family member". Earlier media reports asked whether it was a bungled armed robbery that the cyclist may have inadvertently interrupted. Another report said the attack may have been a case of mistaken identity linked to drugs but police say the car park was not known as a haunt of dealers.

Had the al-Hilli family been in France long?

Exact details of the family's stay have not been confirmed. According Le Dauphine Libere they arrived on 3 September and had been due to leave by the end of the week, reports. Other reports say they arrived at the end of August. They were staying in a caravan at a campsite, Le Solitaire du Lac, in St Jorioz, 8km from Chevaline. A woman at the campsite, whose name was not given, said she had seen the two women out picking apples with the two little girls earlier on Wednesday. "It was the first year that they had been seen here," she added.

Why did it take eight hours to find Zeena?

The police who sealed off the murder scene were under orders not to disturb the bodies in the car before a forensics team arrived, Mr Maillaud said. Given the gravity of the crime, officers were dispatched from Paris, he said. Furthermore, the first police at the scene did not know there were two children in the family group until a link was established with the campsite. "Firemen, technicians and doctors all looked into the car through the holes in the windows but none of them saw the girl," said Lt Col Benoit Vinnemann of the local gendarmerie. A helicopter with thermal imaging was also used to inspect the scene but it did not detect Zeena either.

What is the condition of the two girls?

Zainab was shot in the shoulder and beaten around the head, the French prosecutor said. "She was struck very violently and apparently has skull fractures," he added. Her life is out of danger following an operation at a hospital in the city of Grenoble. Police hope she may be able to give more details of the attacks. She was later brought out of a medically-induced coma and has spoken to officers but has not yet been interviewed. Her four-year-old sister, Zeena, has returned to the UK and is under the care of Surrey social services. Mr Maillaud told reporters Zeena had been interviewed but he did not see a "need" to speak to her again as she "did not see anything".

What is happening in the UK?

A team of French police officers, led by Colonel Marc de Tarle, are conducting investigations in the UK, assisted by Surrey police. Mr de Tarle has told reporters the probe is likely to be "long and complex". Searches have been taking place at the al-Hilli's family home in Claygate for evidence that could provide clues to the killing. The French judge and prosecutor leading the investigation have also travelled to the UK.