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Michael Gidewon, the co-owner of the popular Atlanta-based nightclub Republic Lounge, was shot dead on February 4. He was married to Selam, and the two have four children, who are currently in grade school.
Gidewon was shot outside his club during the early morning hours on Saturday. Cops arrived at the scene at 7 am, where they found 50-year-old Gidewon with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Famous entrepreneur Simon Guobadia paid tribute to Gidewon by sharing photos of the two together and writing,
“Shocking on the news of your passing is an understatement. As a family man, your lose touches me to my core. You were one of two I looked up to when it came to the love and dedication for family, especially what your four lovely children meant to you. My family and I share in your pain, and our heart felt condolences to the Gideowns. This loss is felt on many levels. May your soul rest in perfect peace, Michael Gideown.”
The incident is currently under investigation, and no one has been arrested so far. However, one of the security guards working at the nightclub disclosed that an individual had been forcibly removed from the club the previous night, and he returned with a gun and shot Michael.
Michael Gidewon worked in the nightclub scene for 35 years
According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, Michael Gidewon established himself as a popular entrepreneur in the last 35 years.
He was born in Eritrea and immigrated to the United States with his brother Alex in the aftermath of the country's civil war. Speaking about the brothers’ shifting from Eritrea to America, Dr. Shireda Howard, a friend of Gidewon's, told 11Alive,
“That takes on a whole different dynamic because you’re really taking work home at that point. They were able to overcome all of that and still come here and be successful and still become a very integral part of the city from the standpoint of not just employing, having nightclubs, but they also had a foundation.”
Michael Gidewon and Alex initially joined as valets to understand everything about the nightlife business. They later managed to establish nightclubs that were located close to each other.
Michael’s club organized special nights that featured appearances of well-known faces from the entertainment industry, which helped make the club popular. He used to hang out with rappers like Young Jeezy, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, T.I., and more.
Dr. Howard added that Michael Gidewon always preferred to work for his family first and ensured that he could offer them everything, even if he was in some trouble. His brother, Alex, was previously the owner of Compound nightclub, which is currently not active anymore. He is now the head of AG Entertainment.
