Early on Saturday (February 4), Michael Gidewon, co-owner of Republic Lounge was fatally shot outside of the popular Atlanta nightclub.
Not much is known about the incident, but Ken Lucas, who works as a security guard at Republic Lounge, told Channel 2 Action News that a male patron got in a fight with a manager after being asked to leave the club. Lucas stated, "I helped get him (the man) out, but he was putting up a fight."
Moments later, gunshots were heard outside of the club, and when police arrived, they found Gidewon unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released any other details.
Famed radio host Bert Weiss, who created "The Bert Show," spoke about Gidewon, who he initially met in 2001. Weiss stated, "He had an amazing combination of warmth, fun and professionalism,” Weiss said. “He carried himself with honor, respect and dignity."
He added, "He and his brother defined Atlanta nightlife for two decades. He was so proud of his family. He didn’t come to America from Eritrea with money. He was a valet for years observing the business before he started his own club. He was beloved both professionally and personally."
Weiss is referring to Alex Gidewon, who owned and operated some of metro Atlanta’s most popular clubs over the years, including Vision and Compound.
