Matthew Exton, 43, a former Ohio lawyer, was sentenced to 24½ years after being convicted of attempted murder, two counts of felonious assault and multiple firearms offenses for an April 2025 incident in a Toledo restaurant. The gun did not fire because its safety was engaged; a waiter tackled Exton before he could try again and diners helped disarm him. Surveillance footage showing Exton struggling with the weapon was cited by Judge Gary Cook as evidence of intent. Prosecutors also presented allegations of prior threatening conduct, and Exton's Ohio law license remains suspended.
Waiter Tackles Ex-Lawyer After Gun Safety Thwarts Attempted Shooting In Toledo Restaurant
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A former Ohio attorney was sentenced to decades in prison after aiming a handgun at his ex-wife inside a crowded Toledo restaurant — only for the firearm's safety to prevent it from firing. Quick action by a waiter and several diners then ended the threat without anyone being shot.
What happened: In April 2025, 43-year-old Matthew Exton pointed a loaded handgun at his ex-wife and pulled the trigger, but the safety was engaged and the weapon did not discharge. Surveillance footage captured the episode and later became key evidence at trial.
The video shows Exton handling the gun immediately after the trigger was pulled. Before he could attempt to fire again, a restaurant waiter tackled him. Other patrons joined in and helped wrest the weapon away, bringing the confrontation to an end.
Court proceedings and sentence
Exton was convicted of attempted murder, two counts of felonious assault and multiple firearms offenses. On Monday he was sentenced to 24 1/2 years in prison.
Judge Gary Cook said the surveillance footage helped establish Exton’s intent, noting that the video showed him struggling with the gun after it failed to fire. "You are flummoxed by the fact that it did not go off, and you're trying to fix the safety," the judge told the defendant.
At sentencing, Exton maintained he never intended to harm his ex-wife and called the charges political, even telling the court, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." The judge rejected that defense.
Prosecutors' allegations about prior conduct
Prosecutors described other troubling behavior dating to 2024, including allegations that Exton impersonated a police officer while purchasing a gun, made death threats, and allegedly entered his ex-wife's home late at night without permission. Testimony at trial included an account in which Exton reportedly boasted he could "kill anyone and get away with it." These allegations were presented to establish a pattern of threatening conduct.
Exton's Ohio law license remains suspended following the convictions.
Aftermath
Officials and witnesses emphasized that the most important outcome was that no one was injured: a functioning safety, a decisive intervention by a waiter and the cooperation of bystanders prevented a tragedy. Exton's 24 1/2-year sentence reflects the seriousness of the charges and the court's finding of intent.
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