Waiter tackles former Ohio lawyer after gun safety stops attempted shooting of ex-wife at restaurant 

A former Ohio lawyer will spend more than two decades in prison after trying to shoot his ex-wife inside a crowded restaurant, only for the safety on his gun to prevent it from firing. A waiter then tackled him before he could make another attempt, while other patrons helped wrestle the weapon away.

Matthew Exton, 43, was sentenced Monday to 24 1/2 years in prison after being convicted earlier this month of attempted murder, two counts of felonious assault, and multiple firearm charges. According to TMZ, the convictions stemmed from an April 2025 incident at a Toledo restaurant.

Exton pointed a loaded gun at his ex-wife and pulled the trigger, but the safety was still engaged. Surveillance footage later showed what happened immediately afterward, and the same video would become important when Exton tried to convince the court that he never intended to hurt or kill her.

A waiter intervened before Exton could try again

Before Exton could make another attempt, a waiter tackled him. Several other people inside the restaurant then helped disarm the former lawyer, bringing the confrontation to an end without the gun being fired.

At his sentencing, Exton maintained that he had never intended to harm his ex-wife. He also called the charges against him political and told the court, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”

Judge Gary Cook rejected that argument while pointing to the surveillance footage. The video showed Exton struggling with the weapon after it did not fire, which Cook interpreted as evidence that Exton was trying to determine why the gun had not gone off.

“You are flummoxed by the fact that it did not go off, and you’re trying to fix the safety,” Cook told him. The judge said the footage helped establish Exton’s intent during the restaurant encounter.

Prosecutors pointed to other alleged conduct

Prosecutors also presented allegations about Exton’s behavior before the restaurant incident. They claimed he had impersonated a police officer while purchasing a gun in 2024 and had previously made death threats.

They also cited an alleged unauthorized late-night entry into his ex-wife’s home. According to testimony presented in the case, Exton had bragged that he could “kill anyone and get away with it.”

Other recent cases have also involved alleged plots targeting former partners, including a New Jersey woman accused of trying to arrange the murders of her ex-boyfriend and his daughter. Another woman recently shared why she suspected her ex-husband of trying to harm her after a series of unsettling events following their separation, including an alleged poisoning attempt. 

The former lawyer’s attempt inside the restaurant ultimately ended very differently. The safety prevented the gun from firing, a waiter intervened before Exton could try again, and the surveillance footage captured what the judge later considered evidence of his intent.

Exton’s Ohio law license remains suspended. Following his convictions for attempted murder, felonious assault, and firearm offenses, his sentence now stands at 24 1/2 years behind bars. Ultimately, the most important outcome was not even the sentence Exton received, but the life that was saved. A gun safety, a waiter who acted without hesitation, and diners who stepped in ensured his ex-wife walked away unharmed.

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