The girlfriend of Thomas Tran, who was stabbed to death in Melbourne's south-east last night, has pleaded for an end to gang violence after he became the third young man to be killed in violent circumstances in just two weeks.
Police were called to Atherton Road in Oakleigh, in Melbourne's south-east, shortly after 8:00pm last night, after reports of a fight.
They found the body of Mr Tran, 20, who died at the scene.
This morning, Mr Tran's family and friends arrived at the scene to light incense and provide offerings to the young man who was remembered as a budding entrepreneur.
His girlfriend, Trish Nguyen, wept as she spoke of Mr Tran, an only child, who she called the "funniest person you'd ever meet".
"He had the goofiest laugh," Ms Nguyen said.
"He never put himself first."
Killed man was 'not a fighter'
Mr Tran is the third young man to die in violent circumstances in Melbourne in the last two weeks.
Ms Nguyen begged for the violence to stop.
"Just don't do it guys. It's not worth it at all. Look, we've lost a loved one, it's really not worth it," she said.
"You shouldn't do that to people's families, you shouldn't do that yourself, your own family. It's not fair."
Ms Nguyen said she was informed of her boyfriend's murder after receiving a slew of text messages late on Monday night.
"As soon as I heard that, I quickly called his parents and his cousin and we came down," she said.
She said Mr Tran was not violent.
"He wasn't just a fighter or started shit. He really cared about people. He really loved everyone that was in his life. He put everyone before him. That's what I loved," she said.
Ms Nguyen had a message for Mr Tran's killers.
"There's really nothing you can say but I hope that you can get what you deserve for doing that to him," she said.
Police arrested a 15-year-old boy from Dandenong, a 20-year-old man from Dandenong South and two 19-year-olds from Lynbrook and Lyndhurst, but all have been released pending further enquiries.
Police are urging anyone who may have CCTV footage taken in Chester Street, Eaton Mall and Atherton Road between 7:30pm and 8:00pm last night to come forward.
