Michael Gidewon’s death in 2023 closed Republic Lounge and left a lasting mark on Atlanta’s nightclub community.
ATLANTA — The arrest of the man accused of killing nightclub co-owner Michael Gidewon has brought renewed attention to a death that shook Atlanta’s nightlife community and led to the permanent closure of Republic Lounge more than three years ago.
Jonathan Soto, 43, was arrested in Jacksonville, Florida, after a yearslong search by law enforcement. Atlanta police accuse him of killing Gidewon outside Republic Lounge on Feb. 4, 2023. Soto had been placed on the department’s most-wanted list, and authorities said investigators eventually located him in Jacksonville using investigative technology before working with federal and Florida authorities to make the arrest.
For Atlanta’s nightlife community, the case has always involved more than a fugitive search. Gidewon, 50, had spent years in the city’s club business with his brother, Alex Gidewon. Their ventures included some of the best-known names in Atlanta nightlife, and Michael Gidewon developed a reputation among people in the entertainment community through the clubs and events connected to the family.
Republic Lounge was the setting for the killing. Atlanta police were called to the Brady Avenue business shortly before 7 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2023, and found Gidewon suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police later identified Soto as the suspect and began a search that would continue for more than three years.
Investigators allege Soto had been inside the lounge and was removed after becoming intoxicated. Police said he later returned with a gun and shot Gidewon. Those allegations remain subject to the criminal court process, and Soto’s arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
The loss quickly affected the business Gidewon had helped operate. Republic Lounge announced its permanent closure in the days after his death. The shutdown carried particular weight because Gidewon and his brother had spent years building a presence in Atlanta’s nightclub industry. Their businesses over the years included Republic Lounge as well as involvement with venues such as Vision and Compound.
People familiar with Gidewon’s work described his reach as extending beyond a single club. Radio personality Frank Ski, who held charity events at Gidewon’s clubs, told WSB-TV that the killing stunned people across Atlanta because Gidewon was so widely known. The reaction reflected the position Gidewon and his businesses had developed within the city’s nightlife scene.
Earlier reporting on Gidewon’s life described an immigrant story behind that success. People close to him said he came from Eritrea and eventually built a career in Atlanta’s nightclub industry with his brother. By the time of his death, the brothers had become associated with venues that drew local customers as well as celebrities and entertainment figures.
The search for the accused gunman remained unresolved long after Republic Lounge closed. Gidewon’s family offered a substantial reward for information leading to Soto, while Atlanta police kept him on their most-wanted list. His whereabouts remained publicly unresolved into 2026.
That changed when Atlanta police said their fugitive unit developed information placing Soto in Jacksonville. The information was shared with the U.S. Marshals Service and Jacksonville authorities. Police said Soto refused to leave an apartment after officers surrounded it, and a SWAT team entered and took him into custody without reported injuries.
Soto was booked into the Duval County Jail on a fugitive warrant as authorities prepared for the next stage of the case. A timetable for his return to Georgia had not been publicly established. His arrest gives prosecutors an opportunity to move forward with a case that remained stalled while he was a fugitive, while the allegations against him still must be resolved through the legal process.
Author note: Last updated September 25, 2026.