Former NFL Player Turned Celebrity Chef Tobias Dorzon Shot in Vicious Ambush Robbery
Tobias Dorzon, a former NFL player turned restaurateur and celebrity chef, was shot on Tuesday, November 5, during an ambush robbery.
According to a county council member, Dorzon was one of two people shot Tuesday night in Prince George's County, Maryland.
"Such a horrible act couldn't have happened to a better person. I am sending my deepest sympathies to him and the second victim, as well as their families and friends, and I wish them both a speedy recovery," Wanika Fisher, a County Council member, said in a statement. "We have no place for this kind of senseless violence in our district or our county."
Dorzon and an unnamed woman were returning home from dinner around 10:00 p.m., according to Hyattsville police, who said four suspects exited out of a car and opened fire on the pair. Dozens of rounds were shot off while a fifth suspect drove the car. Dorzon and his companion was hit multiple times with automatic weapons, according to 'NBC-4.'
Dorzon, 39, and the woman both survived the "tragic, heinous, violent" shooting, and were hospitalized with serious wounds.
After opening fire, a gunman can be seen on surveillance footage robbing Dorzon, who was lying in the street. The female was seen limping behind a nearby car as Dorzon begged for his life.
Police Chief Jarod Towers said the shooting "is not tolerated here in the city of Hyattsville. It's not tolerated anywhere in Prince George's County or the region. We will bring closure to this case. We will not stop until we seek justice in this case, and this is a barbarous offense."
Dorzon ventured into cooking, inspired by his West African heritage, and owning his own restaurant after playing in the National Football League (NFL). Dorzon, who was named Maryland's Chef of the Year in 2023, has appeared on 'Chopped,' 'Tournament of Champions,' and 'Guy's Grocery Games.' Dorzon played for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League.
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Dorzon opened Union District Oyster Bar and Lounge in Washington, D.C. in 2018. Three years later, he helped open a second restaurant, Thirteen Restaurant, in Houston, Texas. In 2022, he opened Huncho House in Hyattsville, Maryland.
