An eight-year-old girl allegedly ran screaming from a barbecue, saying "My sister is dead" after her 11-year-old sibling was shot and killed.
Their parents were also seriously wounded in the shooting, at a barbecue after an apparent disagreement between neighbours in Brittany, in the north-western France, The Express reports.
The 11-year-old girl was shot while on the swing, Le Telegramme reported, which was done through a hedge separating the two properties, according to a local prosecutor.
Read More: Jailed Italian mafia supergrass will help cops finally catch Daniel Kinahan
Alerting her family, her eight-year-old sister sprinted from the scene roaring "my sister is dead, my sister is dead", according to French media. She was not hit with a bullet, it has been confirmed.
Solaine Thornton, a British girl has been named as the young girl who died, while her parents are Adrian and Rachel Thornton, and her younger sister is Celeste.
One source said: "There was a dispute between neighbours, and a gun was produced." They had reportedly been arguing for many years over a plot of land adjoining the two properties.
After tensions allegedly "reached boiling point" the little girl was shot and killed, while the parents were seriously injured.
"The father suffered a head injury and is critical in hospital, while the mother is also very badly hurt. The youngest child is the only one who is unscathed, having managed to flee to another neighbour's house," the source said.
The Foreign Office in the United Kingdom is working closely the family in providing assistance.
A spokesman said: "We are providing consular assistance to a British family following a shooting in France and are in contact with the local authorities."
A 71-year-old Dutch national is believed to be the suspect and has been arrested, according to local prosecutors.
A neighbour said: "I heard a lot of noise but I did not attend the scene."
