
Panic gripped a restaurant in Ohio, USA, after a 43-year-old man pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot his ex-wife. The incident took place in April 2025 at the Italian restaurant Sabira and was captured on security cameras, with the footage recently released.
Matthew Exton, a former criminal defense attorney, was at a bar near the restaurant when he saw his ex-wife having dinner with her family. According to the prosecution, he first sent her a drink and then spat on her as she was leaving the restaurant.
A short time later, Exton returned to the restaurant and pulled out a loaded gun. The gun had one bullet in the chamber and seven more in the magazine.
When the 43-year-old tried to shoot his ex-wife, the gun misfired because the safety was still on. He tried to use the gun again, but at that moment waiter Tracy Cole Jr. intervened, jumped on him, knocked him to the ground and stopped him.
Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates stated in court that the restaurant staff could not have been prepared for such a situation.
Exton was found guilty of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault. During his trial, he stated that he had no intention of pulling the trigger, claiming he had only pointed the gun at his ex-wife to force her to sell their house quickly.
After the incident, Exton also lost his law license. At the time, he was practicing law in Michigan.
Waiter at an Ohio restaurant tackles a man after he tried to shoot his ex-wife in newly released footage. 43-year-old Matthew Exton, of Toledo, Ohio, has been found guilty of attempted murder. Exton had been drinking when he saw his ex-wife and her family celebrating at a restaurant. He then ordered a drink to their table and spat at them as he left. He then returned with a handgun and tried to shoot his ex-wife; however, the safety was on, and the gun did not fire. While testifying, Exton tried to claim he wasn't intending to shoot her and was just pointing a gun at her to get her to speed up the process of selling their home. W waiter.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 9, 2026