REVERE — The Lynn man charged in a triple shooting on Waite Street that killed two people and "grievously injured" a third Thursday night had been arrested last month in a drug case that prompted prosecutors at the time to request revocation of his bail in an unrelated drug matter, court records show.
Suffolk County prosecutors argued that Michael DeLeon, 36, had violated the terms of bail conditions imposed on him in Middlesex Superior Court when he was arrested Nov. 25 by State Police in Revere and cited for drug possession and speeding after a traffic stop, according to records filed in Chelsea District Court.
A judge, however, denied the request Nov. 27 and set bail for DeLeon at $1,500, court records show.
Officers arrested DeLeon on Friday afternoon in Quincy and charged him with fatally shooting Peter Pitari, 66, and Cristy Johnson, 35, inside a multifamily residence in Revere, according to the Suffolk district attorney's office and Revere police.
A 38-year-old man was also shot and remains hospitalized, officials said. Neighbors said the survivor has an infant son with Johnson and used to live in Waite Street building where the shooting took place.
DeLeon is expected to be arraigned on two counts of murder Monday in Chelsea District Court.
Revere Mayor Daniel Rizzo said drugs appeared to have played a role in the violence.
"It's just one of those unfortunate tragic events that I think happens far too often with drugs," Rizzo said in a telephone interview.
When a State Police trooper pulled over DeLeon on Revere Beach Boulevard on Nov. 25 and found what he believed to be cocaine on the front driver seat, DeLeon was free on $150 bail in Middlesex County, where is charged with a subsequent offense of cocaine distribution, court records show.
A grand jury had indicted DeLeon on that charge in August and he was arraigned in connection with it on Nov. 18 in Middlesex Superior Court, according to the Middlesex district attorney's office.
Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli said DeLeon is "well known" to officers and he praised investigators for catching him quickly. "A lot of good, old-fashioned police work went into play,'' Cafarelli said.
He called the shooting an "isolated incident" and said there is no reason for residents to feel fearful.
The Suffolk district attorney's office declined to say whether DeLeon knew the victims. Court records show that when DeLeon was cited in June 2014 for speeding and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, he was driving a car that belonged to Pitari.
In the entryway to the six-family home where Pitari lived, neighbors and friends Friday recalled the chaos of the previous night when gunfire erupted around 7. Residents said they heard shots fired, a man screaming for help, and then a fire alarm.
Christopher Brunco, 20, who lives upstairs, said he rushed through the house and found the survivor, bleeding and pleading for help on the first floor. "We made sure he was breathing and called the police," he said.
Brunco's friend, Jared Morrison, 21, said the wounded man told them his girlfriend was inside a nearby apartment.
Another resident, who asked not to be named because she fears for her safety, said her husband entered the apartment and found Pitari and Johnson. "It's terrible," she said.
One neighbor, who asked to be identified by her first name, Dianne, said Johnson had moved out of the building, but returned regularly to help Pitari.
"She comes over and cooks and cleans for him," Dianne said.
Blood stains, medical equipment, and debris remained Friday in the spot where residents found the survivor. Amid the grim aftermath, Brunco and Morrison described fond memories of Pitari, who readily spun tales about his motorcycle-
riding days and went by the nickname "Pops."
"He always told us to keep calm,'' Morrison said. "For some reason the old man could just be calm about anything and still just talk about it. I've never seen him get mad since I've known him.'' He said Pitari's motto was: "Cool your jets."
Brunco said he recently spent the night talking with Pitari. "He was just telling me that I needed to get going with my future, just everything with school, working,'' Brunco said.
Suffolk Superior Court records show Pitari pleaded guilty to a single count of possession of a firearm without a license and was sentenced in 2012 to one year in jail, a sentence he completed.
Morrison said Pitari's death was "hitting me like bricks."
"I didn't believe it at first because I didn't think anybody could do anything to an old man like that," he said.
Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @lauracrimaldi. John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe.