Nine people have spent the night in custody after a 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Melbourne.

A group of eight to 10 men approached the 15-year-old on Tuesday afternoon at Brimbank Shopping Centre in Deer Park.

The youngster died at the scene.

The group ran away but six were arrested on nearby Billingham Road a short time later. As of Wednesday morning, they were yet to be charged.

Witnesses told the Nine network the group were carrying knives up their sleeves and stabbed the teen “multiple times” in the chest and stomach.

“He’s a good kid, he goes to church. He comes from a good family, a humble family. It’s just so unfortunate this has happened to him,” family friend Foa Galuega said.

Another person, Tatyana Taufa, paid tribute to the teenager, re-posting the news story to their social media with the comment “RIL LIL TOKO . My deepest condolences go out to the Taufeulungaki Family . #FlyHighSolo [?]”

The brawl and subsequent stabbing is believed to have been sparked by an argument on social media, Nine reported.

Hours later, a fight broke out at the scene between about 30 people.

Footage of the second brawl posted on social media shows people running into the taped-off crime scene.

A person can be heard in the footage shouting, “I’ll kill you” while bystanders yell “Stop”.

Three men were arrested over the second fight.

A police officer was taken to hospital and another man was treated for a cut to the head.

Homicide detectives are investigating.