Life of Hardship Ends in Tragedy: Father Snaps, Kills Son, Shot Dead by Police

CAVITE - A father was shot dead by police after going berserk and taking his own children hostage in Barangay Sampaloc 4, Dasmariñas City, Cavite, on Monday morning — a tragedy that neighbors believe stemmed from the hardships he faced in life.

The suspect was identified as 37-year-old jeepney driver LJ Borda, who reportedly suffered a mental breakdown after several days without food or sleep.

According to the investigation, Borda allegedly attempted to stab his two young children inside their home, prompting alarmed neighbors to call for help.

When police arrived, they found the suspect still armed with a knife and repeatedly stabbing one of the children. The officers were forced to shoot, killing him on the spot.

The victims were rushed to the hospital, but five-year-old Kelvin was declared dead on arrival. His sister, seven-year-old Kate, and a neighbor named Angel, who tried to rescue the children, remain confined at the Dasmariñas Hospital.

Police learned that the children’s mother was working in another town when the incident occurred.

Neighbors told investigators that before the attack, Borda often locked himself in a room with his children and appeared increasingly distressed over unpaid debts and the family’s worsening financial condition.

Authorities are still investigating whether Borda had taken illegal drugs prior to the incident, but early accounts point to extreme exhaustion, hunger, and hardship as possible triggers for his violent outburst.