Former lawyer who pulled gun on ex-wife in Ohio restaurant is sentenced to nearly 25 years

A former lawyer who stormed into an Ohio restaurant and aimed a handgun at his ex-wife last April was sentenced to up to 24 ½ years in prison on Monday. Matthew Exton, 43, was convicted of two counts of attempted murder and two counts of felonious assault earlier this month in connection with the incident at a Toledo restaurant. Prosecutors said Exton tried to shoot his former spouse at close range with a Colt Defender as she sat at a table alongside her mother on April 11, 2025. Moments after the gun failed to go off because the weapon’s safety was on, a waiter and others tackled Exton and subdued him. Exton faced sentencing enhancements under Ohio law because of his use of a firearm while committing felonies.

During his sentencing hearing Monday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, prosecutors said a mass casualty event was avoided that day. “He nearly perpetrated a mass casualty event in the middle of a crowded restaurant. … He had no regard for anyone or anything other than himself,” prosecutor Mike Loisel argued, according to a live feed of the proceedings. Loisel added that Exton is so unhinged that he “must be incarcerated” for a lengthy period of time. “This court has provided protection for all the victims in this matter and, quite honestly,