An alleged double murderer was held without bail today following his arraignment for the shooting deaths of Angel Acevedo and Jenret Appleberry in a Chelsea apartment early Labor Day morning, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

STEVEN ANDRE (D.O.B. 5/5/88), who was most recently living in Malden, was formally charged with two counts of murder for allegedly shooting the 25-year-old Acevedo and 26-year-old Appleberry to death inside their Chester Avenue residence in the early morning hours of Sept. 6.

Andre was arrested yesterday afternoon by State Police homicide detectives assigned to Conley’s office and Chelsea Police detectives who had been investigating the murders since they were first reported.

Assistant District Attorney John Pappas of Conley’s Homicide Unit told Chelsea District Court Judge Diana Maldonado that Chelsea Police “encountered nothing short of a bloodbath” when they entered the apartment that morning.

Pappas told the court that Andre was known to both victims and had been to their residence on several occasions – including the night of Sept. 5 or early morning of Sept. 6.

“Without warning and without provocation, without justification or excuse, this defendant shot Angel Acevedo and Jenret Appleberry, who were unarmed at the time,” Pappas said. “It is believed that one of the victims was shot as he slept.”

After the murders, Andre methodically searched the victims’ apartment for money, Pappas said. He allegedly took steps to cover his tracks by wiping down surfaces inside the apartment and retrieving at least one shell casing from the scene.

“The defendant also made specific threats to retaliate against any potential witnesses or their families if they were to speak with investigating authorities,” Pappas said. “The defendant made statements that he had planned out his attack on Acevedo and Appleberry during the three weeks preceding the murders.”

Pappas told the court that the investigation remained “ongoing and very active relative to any accomplices the defendant may have had.”

Conley and Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes urged anyone with information on the homicides to share it with authorities by calling the Chelsea Police CrimeStoppers tip line at 617-466-4880, by texting CHELSEA and their message to TIP411 from a cell phone, or by calling the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit at 617-727-8817. All tipsters may remain anonymous if they wish.

Andre will return to court on Oct. 25 with attorney Stephen Weymouth.