A neighbour says a man who murdered his common-law wife, mother-in-law and then himself talked about killing someone after recently losing his job.

"He lost his job and he took it so deeply inside, so when he came home, his emotions ran high and he said he wanted to kill somebody, and the person he wanted to kill is the man who made him lose his job," said one neighbour who didn't want to be identified.

Toronto police were called to the city's east end on Monday night after receiving reports of a triple murder. Investigators soon realized they were dealing with a double murder-suicide.

The bodies of two women, aged 47 and 78, and 32-year-old Alton Beckford, were discovered their family home at 35 Knowles Dr., in the Morningside and Finch Avenues area.

The women, whose names CTV News has chosen not to broadcast, had been stabbed to death, police said.

Beckford turned the knife on himself after stabbing his 13-year-old stepdaughter in the hand during the violent attack. She was able to flee the scene and alert neighbours to call 911.

"His daughter came out saying she needed help -- 'call police, her mother is dying, she's in the room and she's dying and her granny is dying,'" said one unidentified neighbour, who fought back tears.

The girl has been released from hospital and is staying with an aunt, a family friend told CTV News.

Police said she's holding up, considering the circumstances.

"She's obviously distraught -- it's a very tragic thing to have happened and to have to witness but she's got some family members in the city and she's got some support from them," said homicide Det. Hank Idsinga.

A family dispute broke out at the home following the girl's Grade 8 graduation ceremony. Beckford often beat his three victims, CTV News has learned.

The 13-year-old girl's best friend said the teen told her she was being physically abused.

"She said she thought she was going to die one day when he shoved his hand in her mouth and scratched her throat, and she started bleeding," said the friend, who didn't want to be identified.

"He locked the door behind him and pushed her on the bed and taped her mouth so she wouldn't scream."

At Thomas L. Wells Public School, where the girl attended, some parents were speechless.

"It's sad, sad, sad, to hear. Yesterday was their graduation," said one woman.

"This is a shock to me," said one woman whose sister is best friend's with the teenager. "I woke up this morning trying to go to work and I just wasn't expecting this at all."

Parents said Grade 8 students spent the morning at an assembly discussing the grisly incident.

The surviving teen's 17-year-old brother was not home at the time of the murders.

With reports from CTV's Janice Golding and Jim Junkin