A three-year manhunt for the man accused of gunning down Atlanta nightclub co-owner Michael Gidewon ended in a tense standoff outside a Jacksonville apartment complex, where SWAT officers had to breach a door to pull the suspect out. Jonathan Soto, 43, was booked into the Duval County Jail on a fugitive warrant after refusing to come out of the unit on Gate Parkway North, where investigators had traced him.
According to a post from the Jax Sheriff's Office
, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office SWAT worked with the Atlanta Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force to track Soto to the complex before he barricaded himself inside. When Soto would not surrender, SWAT used what the agency described as an energetic door breach to take him into custody. No one at the scene was reported hurt in the operation, and the sheriff's office said in its post that strong partnerships help remove dangerous fugitives from the streets.
Soto had been on the Atlanta Police Department's Top 10 Most Wanted list for his alleged role in the February 4, 2023, killing of 50-year-old Michael Gidewon, co-owner of Republic Lounge in West Midtown Atlanta, according to the Atlanta Police Department. Gidewon was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the head around 6:48 a.m. outside the club at 990 Brady Avenue NW, and emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
A Fatal Dispute Outside the Club
An intoxicated person was reportedly expelled from Republic Lounge. Atlanta Crime Stoppers offered a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to Soto's capture.
911 calls recorded shortly after the shooting revealed that Gidewon was initially still breathing on the ground outside the club as bystanders tried to arrange private transport before Grady EMS arrived, according to 11Alive, with dispatchers instructing callers to wait for incoming medical units.
A Prominent Figure in Atlanta Nightlife
Gidewon was an East African immigrant from Eritrea who had a career in Atlanta nightlife and owned two clubs. He was also active in local charitable efforts such as Thanksgiving drives. Friends and community members organized a public vigil outside Republic Lounge after his death and held a celebration of life at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, per 11Alive's coverage of the memorial.
What Happens Next for Soto
Atlanta Police Department Fugitive Unit investigators used specialized investigative technology to locate Soto in Florida, and the U.S. Marshals Service and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office worked with the department to make the arrest, the department said. Soto remained held in Jacksonville, and the timing of any extradition had not been confirmed.
The Jax Sheriff's Office noted its X account is not monitored 24/7 and directed the public to call 911 for emergencies or 904-630-0500 for non-emergency matters. Hoodline previously reported on the search for Soto in a year-later manhunt update, which detailed the ongoing search and the circumstances of Gidewon's death.
