Former Ohio Attorney Convicted After Loaded Handgun Attack on Ex-Wife Inside Toledo Restaurant

TOLEDO, Ohio — A former Ohio attorney has been convicted of attempting to murder his ex-wife after bringing a loaded handgun into a crowded Toledo restaurant during its opening night.

The case stems from an April 11, 2025 confrontation at Sabira, a newly opened restaurant on South Huron Street, where the victim was dining with her parents.

Matthew Exton, 43, approached the family’s table after first visiting neighboring Souk restaurant, according to prosecutors and testimony presented during his Lucas County Common Pleas Court trial.

Prosecutors said Exton noticed his former wife while drinking next door, then entered Sabira and ordered a drink delivered to her table before leaving the restaurant.

As he departed, prosecutors said Exton spat toward the family’s table, then returned moments later carrying a handgun and walked directly toward his former wife.

Surveillance footage shown during the trial captured Exton approaching the table, drawing the firearm and pointing it toward his former wife as diners remained nearby.

The handgun was loaded, investigators determined, with one round in the chamber and seven additional rounds in the magazine, according to prosecutors and local television reports.

Exton appeared to pull the trigger, but the weapon did not fire because its manual safety remained engaged, giving restaurant staff crucial seconds to intervene.

Waiter Tracy Cole Jr. reacted immediately, rushing toward Exton and tackling him before he could successfully fire the weapon or make another attempt against the victim.

Other restaurant employees and patrons then joined the struggle, helping restrain Exton and secure the firearm until police arrived, according to courtroom testimony and surveillance footage.

 

 

 

Prosecutors described the intervention as potentially lifesaving, saying the restaurant staff and customers prevented what could have become a deadly attack inside a busy dining room.

Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates characterized Exton’s conduct as an intended public execution, while defense attorneys argued that he did not intend to kill his former wife.

Exton testified in his own defense, saying he wanted his former wife to understand that he was serious about resolving disputes involving the proceeds from their former home.

He denied intending to shoot her, but prosecutors pointed to the surveillance footage, the loaded firearm and his movements toward the table as evidence supporting the charges.

During the trial, Exton’s former wife described the encounter as terrifying and testified that she believed she was about to be killed when he raised the gun.

The jury ultimately rejected Exton’s defense and found him guilty of attempted murder, two counts of felonious assault and multiple firearm specifications after deliberating in Lucas County.

Jurors acquitted Exton of one additional felonious assault charge involving his former father-in-law, after testimony indicated the gun was not directly pointed at him during the confrontation.

 

 

 

Exton’s criminal case followed an earlier disciplinary action against his legal career. In May 2025, the Ohio Supreme Court imposed an immediate interim suspension of his law license.

The suspension barred Exton from practicing law while disciplinary proceedings continued, following the Toledo Bar Association’s claim that his conduct posed a substantial threat to public safety.

Exton remains in custody as he awaits sentencing, which is scheduled for September 21, 2026. Prosecutors have said the convictions could result in a lengthy prison term.

Suggested headline alternatives

• Ohio Attorney Convicted After Trying to Shoot Ex-Wife Inside Crowded Restaurant
• Loaded Gun Fails to Fire as Waiter Tackles Man in Toledo Restaurant
• Waiter Saves Woman After Former Attorney Pulls Loaded Gun at Toledo Restaurant
• Former Ohio Lawyer Found Guilty in Restaurant Attack on Ex-Wife
• Surveillance Video Shows Waiter Tackling Man Who Tried to Shoot Ex-Wife

Editorial note: The original screenshot’s wording is simplified. Current reporting identifies the incident as taking place at Sabira restaurant in Toledo, Ohio, involving former attorney Matthew Exton, and the latest development is his conviction rather than merely an accusation.