Police say a man stabbed during a street robbery in the city’s downtown core early this morning is in 'grave' condition.

According to investigators, a group of six friends were walking in the area of College Street and Spadina Avenue at around 3 a.m. when they were approached by a group of men.

Three of the friends were robbed of jewelry and cellphones, police say.

When one man attempted to get his property back from the suspects, investigators say he was stabbed in the chest.

The victim was rushed to hospital via emergency run in life-threatening condition and has since undergone surgery.

The first suspect has been described by police as a black male who is approximately 23 years old and is about five-foot-seven, weighing approximately 225 pounds. He reportedly had a large afro and was seen wearing baggy blue jeans and a blue hooded sweater.

The second suspect is described as a white male who is approximately six-feet-tall with a thin build. He was reportedly wearing a dual coloured hat, a white T-shirt and black pants.

The third suspect, police say, is a black male who is between the ages of 20 and 25 years old. He was seen wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and black pants.

Police said the last two suspects were described only as black males who appeared to be about 23 years old.

Police are reviewing video surveillance footage in the area and are asking any possible witnesses to call 416-808-1400.

This morning’s stabbing is just one in a series of violent incidents in the city over the weekend.

Since Friday evening, eight people have been stabbed and three people have been shot, including a 10-year-old boy who was hit by a bullet that flew through the window of his east-end home while he was sleeping in bed.

The boy, who was shot in the shoulder, is expected to make a full recovery.

Toronto police spokesperson David Hopkinson spoke to CP24 Sunday about the recent incidents across the city.

“It’s a warm weekend, lots of people (are) out,” he said.

“It has been one of the most violent weekends we’ve seen in quite some time.”

City needs 'multi-pronged' approach to deal with violence:

Mike McCormack, the president of the Toronto Police Association, said that the spike in violence is not a new phenomenon.

“We’ve been talking about this increase in violence for many, many months now,” he said.

“We have to start dealing with this issue. This is a serious issue that impacts everybody, not just a localized group of people.”

McCormack said the city needs to come up with a “multi-pronged” approach.

"There are some long-term objectives that need to be accomplished with some social nets to give people jobs, give people a way out of this type of gun culture or this violent life…. There has to be a policing aspect too,” he said.

“We need to get police resources out there. We need to get community policing, proactive policing. What seems to be happening here is this gun violence becomes so much more brazen.”

The union president encouraged people to contact politicians to “get some movement” on the issue.

“These are not isolated incidents anymore, they are happening everywhere,” he added.

“I think that we have to get everyone together. We have to get the politicians, the chief, get everybody together and let's get some solutions for this.”

Mayor John Tory said more resources have recently been deployed to areas that are seeing ongoing problems.

“We are very, very concerned about it and we are doing everything that the police advise us to do with respect to anything they need,” he told CP24 Sunday.

Tory said he has been in touch with the federal minister to discuss how to stem the flow of guns moving across the border and into Canada.

“Half the guns involved in these kinds of totally unacceptable incidents are coming across the border,” he said.

“We’ve got to put a stop to that as best we can and work with the federal government, work with the police. It is not about finger-pointing.”