A man who allegedly double-crossed his drug supplier may have been the real target of gunmen who killed killed his mother, live-in partner and five teenage neighbors in Phase 8, North Caloocan City.

Isobelita Espinosa, who lost her 16-year-old son in the attack, said her neighbors saw the three gunmen chasing and firing shots at an alias Junior Santor.

• READ: 'Paano kung sa'yo mangyari?' Mom in a rage after losing son in attack

The fatal shots hit Santor's mother Christina and his common law wife, Analyn Dayamla inside their house believed to be a drug den.

Gunfire also killed Epsinosa's son, Sonny, and his four friends who were outside a nearby house.

"Iyung pong mga batang nakabukas ang pintuan, napasukan ng mga naghahabulan kaya nadamay itong mga anak namin," Isobelita shared.

Santor and another friend of Sonny were wounded but survived.

Ilang mga kalaro ng mga menor de edad na nadamay sa pamamaril sa North Caloocan, nakiramay rin | via @zhandercayabyab pic.twitter.com/4Ttn5fWKFk

— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) December 29, 2016

DRUG DEALINGS

Northern Police District (NPD) chief Senior Superintendent Roberto Fajardo confirmed that one victim double crossed the gunman in a drug transaction.

The suspect, he said, tried but failed to kill the victim last in San Juan del Monte in Bulacan last December 8. He eventually located the victim in Caloocan on Wednesday night.

Fajardo declined to give additional details pending the ongoing investigation, but claimed that their case against the gunman is strong.

"Iyan po ang problema natin sa mga suspek; lahat naman po iyan, walang aamin kahit anong gawin. Pero malakas po ang ating kaso kasi identified po siya nung isa sa mga binaril niya," he told radio DZMM.

He also brushed aside Philippine National Police chief Director General Bato dela Rosa's threat to relieve Caloocan police chief Senior Superintendent Johnson Almazan if local cops fail to solve the case on Friday.

"Kahit po may deadline iyun, hindi po namin hahabulin iyun dahil ang importante ay ang kaso, mai-file nang mabuti," Farjardo reasoned.