A laborer was shot dead over the weekend by a neighbor after he held his own mother and brother with a knife and ran amuck in Sitio Talisayan, Barangay Sampaloc IV, Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Ruel S. Hernaez, 25, succumbed at Saint Paul Hospital also in Dasmariñas. He sustained a bullet wound in the right side of the body.

Hernaez was shot by one Archie Joson when he chased everyone in sight with his knife after holding his 53-year-old mother Dolores and 21-year-old brother Francis in a room of their house at 11 p.m. Saturday.

Joson, reportedly a son of a barangay (village) official, fled after the shooting. Dolores and Francis, a student, was unscathed during the incident.

Residents said only Joson’s action prevented Hernaez from stabbing people in the area.

Police Officer 2 Ronald O. Lorenzo, officer-on-case, said that Joson has yet to show up at the police station.

Hernaez, who was drunk, allegedly went wild after he argued with Dolores and Francis about a family motorcycle that he wanted to borrow.

He reportedly kicked the door of the room and held and threatened to kill his mother and brother.

Neighbors said that some barangay tanod (village watchmen) who came to rescue Dolores and Francis were chased by Hernaez in an alley nearby.

Joson, who was among those who responded, allegedly shot Hernaez once in the body.