Police were called to Little Malop Street at around 5.30am on Sunday after a man was found to have stab wounds.

He was taken to the hospital where he later died.

The Herald Sun says Sykes was the man injured during an argument in the early hours of Sunday.

The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated, but it is understood two other men involved in the fight were admitted to hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

One photo taken from the scene showed blood splattered on a garden wall outside a state government building on Little Malop Street, while another photo showed blood smeared on the window of a store on Downes Lane, about 250 meters away.

Following the news of Sykes’s death, there was intense support from his loved ones.

“If I love you bro, I’ll love you forever buddy,” Mitch Sykes wrote on Instagram.

A friend of mine wrote on social media: “You brightened up every room, bro. RIP Chugs, gone too soon.”

Local restaurant manager Alex Smith told Nine News he was “not surprised” to hear about the stabbing in the area.

“There was a glazing just around the corner last weekend. “This happens all the time,” he said.

“The cops aren’t doing anything about it. Something needs to happen, and it needs to happen now.”

Many businesses near where Sykes was stabbed were either forced to close or only traded for a few hours on Sunday, Nine News reported.

Police have not yet filed charges in the stabbing and homicide detectives are continuing to investigate.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that could help police is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or send a confidential report online to: www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.