A 29-year-old man who was killed in a stabbing in Scarborough’s Cliffcrest neighbourhood last weekend was set to be married in three weeks, his mother says.

Paul Spilchen was out with two friends at a bar called the Working Dog Saloon when a fight broke out. Police were called to the pub on St. Clair Avenue near Midland Avenue and found two men suffering from stab wounds.

Spilchen was transported to a hospital in life-threatening condition. He died a short while later.

Police said the other victim survived the incident.

In an emotional interview with CTV News Toronto, Paul’s mother said she heard of the incident from her other son. He came into her room screaming about his brother being stabbed.

“I thought I was actually dreaming,” Rhonda Spilchen said. “I actually thought it was a nightmare. We couldn’t think.”

Rhonda describes her son as a “loveable” guy that thought everybody deserved something good in life.

“I raised him to be a fine young man,” she said. “I worked so hard as a single mom raising my son and working two jobs for my kids to give them a better life and somebody comes along and takes that away for no reason.”

Joshua Smith was meant to be a groomsman at Paul’s wedding. Instead, he will act as a pallbearer at his funeral.

“I can’t even believe it still,” he said. “It hits all of in waves, you know. One second you think you can pick up the phone and give him a quick shout. And then, you know, we remember.”

Rhonda is frustrated by the discussion of violence in Toronto. She told CTV News Toronto that she doesn’t understand how people can say the city is safe. “Every day a child or an adult is dying for no reason,” she said. “(Paul) didn’t die because he was a thug or he didn’t have anything going in life. He had a wife-to-be, he was getting married, he had a good job, (and) he had a great family.”

“When do we stop it? How do you stop this kind of violence?”

There have been 42 homicides in Toronto so far this year. Nine of them have been as a result of a stabbing.

A suspect has been arrested in connection to Spilchen’s death. Michael MacKinnon, 42, is charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder.

Police are still investigating the events leading up to the fight.

None of the charges have been proven in court.

-With files from Zuraidah Alman