A waiter’s immediate intervention averted a tragedy inside an Italian restaurant in Ohio, United States, where a gunman attempted to shoot his ex-wife.
The incident occurred in April 2025 at the Sabira restaurant, but the footage recorded by security cameras has only recently been made public.
The attacker was Matthew Exton, 43, a former criminal defense attorney. He was at a bar near the restaurant when he noticed his ex-wife having dinner with her family.
According to the version presented by the prosecution, Exton first sent the woman a drink. Then, as she was leaving the premises, he spat on her.
The situation escalated a little later, when the 43-year-old returned to the restaurant armed. The pistol he was carrying had one round in the chamber and seven more in the magazine.
The footage shows the moment Exton points the gun at his ex-wife and tries to shoot. The gun did not fire, as the safety was still on.
As he attempted to use the gun again, waiter Tracy Cole Jr. reacted without wasting time. He jumped on top of the aggressor, knocked him to the floor and managed to neutralize him before the latter could shoot.
Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates stated during the trial that the restaurant employees were faced with a situation for which they could not have been prepared in advance.
The court found Exton guilty of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault.
In his testimony, the 43-year-old denied that he intended to pull the trigger. He claimed that he pointed the gun at his ex-wife to force her to speed up the sale of the house they owned.
After the incident, Exton also lost his right to practice law. At the time of the incident, he was working as a lawyer in the state of Michigan.