Former Ohio attorney receives nearly 25-year term for restaurant gun attack

In a courtroom in Lucas County, former attorney Matthew Exton received a sentence of up to 24½ years after a jury convicted him of two attempted-murder counts and two felonious-assault counts. The charges stem from an April 11, 2025 incident in a Toledo restaurant where Exton brandished a Colt Defender at his ex-wife and her mother, but the weapon did not discharge due to the safety being on. Bystanders, including a waiter, tackled and restrained him.

Prosecutors argued that the incident could have become a mass-casualty event, while Exton, representing himself, claimed he had no intent to kill. Judge Gary Cook rejected that defense, citing video evidence of Exton trying to disengage the safety, and ordered a lengthy prison term. The case highlights the seriousness of firearm-related offenses in Ohio.