Republic Lounge murder: 911 calls report shooting of co-owner Michael Gidewon

ATLANTA - For the first time, eyewitness accounts have been released of a deadly shooting in West Midtown. Saturday morning, the owner of the Republic Lounge nightclub was gunned down just outside the club.

Several calls to 911 were made Saturday morning, right after the shooting that claimed the life of 50-year-old Michael Gidewon.

Many of the calls came from people living across the street in an apartment building who saw what happened from their windows and balconies.

"There was literally just a murder outside our window at the Republic nightclub," said one caller.

ATLANTA RADIO PERSONALITY FRANK SKI REMEMBERS FRIEND MICHAEL GIDEWON

Atlanta Police and medics raced to Brady Avenue. They found Gidewon on the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"We saw a bunch of police officers, there were a lot of people around," said Alayna Lehman, who lives in the apartment building across the street.

Lehman says she and her husband heard gunfire, and looked out their window.

"There was a man lying on the sidewalk who was dead. Very sad to see," said Lehman.

Several people from her apartment building called 911 with detailed descriptions of the man who they believe fired the deadly shot.

"He had a white and black pattern shirt, a black hat and a beard that's probably 8-inches long," said one caller.

Many are hoping those details, along with video from surveillance cameras outside the club and on the street, will help investigators catch the man who killed Gidewon.

SEE PHOTOS OF MICHAEL GIDEWON THROUGH THE YEARS

As homicide investigators try to solve this crime, friends and mourn the death of a man who co-owned a couple of clubs in the area with his brother. They were well known to celebrities in the entertainment industry. Gidewon was also known for helping out. He hosted Thanksgiving food drives and other events in the community.

"I feel really bad, for his entire family, it was really sad to see Saturday," said Lehman.

Anyone with information in the case is asked to call the Atlanta Police Department or Crime Stoppers Atlanta.