The family of tragic Solaine Thornton were just two weeks away from coming to see family for the first time since Covid struck, The Mirror has learned.
Solaine, 11, was allegedly gunned down by neighbour Dirk Raats, 71, while the Thorntons enjoyed a barbecue in their home on Saturday.
Her parents Adrian, 52 and Rachael, 49, were also shot in the horrific attack in the sleepy French hamlet of Saint-Herbot, Brittany.
The pair remain in hospital in nearby Brest with Adrian in a critical condition and Rachael is described as being stable.
Their youngest daughter Celeste, eight, who bravely raised the alarm, was also being kept in hospital with them, but is uninjured.
Her grandad Irvin Thornton has flown in from Britain to offer the family some support.
But a family friend from the village told The Mirror the Thorntons were eagerly anticipating their trip back to the UK and had just received their passports. She added: “They were so excited.
“They seem like such a close family and Covid parted them for so long.
“I think they were going to Manchester to see Adrian’s relatives. They are such a beautiful and innocent family.
“It was only a couple of weeks away and now this, their whole lives touched by evil.”
Meanwhile residents in Saint-Herbot have set up an online fund to help the family with expenses.
The tribute on the site said: “Whether it be for immediate accommodation, support, care, physical/emotional assistance or simply trying to start to find a little clarity in the darkness, one way in which we can all help is to donate to their fund.
Dutchman Raats has been charged with Solaine’s murder and the attempted murder of her parents but claims he cannot remember what happened. He was allegedly furious that the Thorntons had cleared land of oak trees to install play equipment including swings and had pointed a weapon at them three years ago.
* You can donate to the fund for the Thornton family online here: leetchi.com/fr/c/the-thornton-fund-la-cagnotte-thornton-1418901
