A 19-year-old man is in custody in connection with a stabbing Monday night on the University of Manitoba campus.

The victim, a 23-year-old man, was rushed to hospital in critical condition after being stabbed in his upper body, at about 6 p.m. outside the faculty of music building on Dysart Road. His condition has since been upgraded to stable, police said.

According to police, the victim was confronted by a man and after a brief conversation was assaulted. The incident escalated to the point where a knife was produced and the victim was stabbed.

The victim got away and attempted to get into a nearby building while the assailant fled, police said.

Staff Sgt. Kelly Dennison said that at approximately 10:30 p.m., Danny Truong was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and carrying a concealed weapon.

He has been detained in custody at the Provincial Remand Centre in Winnipeg.

Money motive alleged

Dennison called the incident a rare violent event on the campus in the city's south side. The U of M has great security and police are not often called out for such an incident, he said, adding, "They do a fantastic job."

John Danakis, head of communications for the university, said the dispute was strictly between two people, and other students and staff were not in any danger.

Student Bassel Alkazami told CBC News on Monday night that he couldn't believe that street-type violence broke out on campus.

"We're in university, how could this happen? We're not in the streets or somewhere that this should happen. We should be safe from that. It scares me actually," he said.

Student Jason Oomah said he walked out of a nearby building just after the altercation happened. He overheard a woman crying on her cellphone, saying someone got stabbed over money and whoever did it was running around campus.

"Because it was such a specific event relating to these two people specifically, it didn't worry me too much," Oomah said.