When it comes to gun violence and robberies against the NFL community, Tobias Dorzon, a former gridiron soldier turned restaurateur and celebrity chef, was the latest member shot on Tuesday, Nov. 5, during an ambush robbery.
According to a county council member in Prince George’s County, Dorzon was one of two people shot multiple times Tuesday night during an armed robbery in Hyattsville, Maryland.
The story is as harrowing and horrible as it seems. On the day that our country supposedly took a positive step forward with a new president, the senseless violence that can be attributed to guns continues to damage lives of great people.
“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.”
According to reports, Dorzon, who played in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League before launching a transcending career in culinary arts, and an unidentified woman were returning home from dinner around 10 p.m., according to Hyattsville police.
In the blink of an eye, police say four suspects exited out of a car and opened fire on the pair, massacre style.
Dozens of rounds were released while a fifth suspect drove the car. Dorzon and his companion were hit multiple times with automatic weapons, according to NBC-4.
According to Hyattsville Police Chief Jarod Towers, “The suspects then approached the victim and took personal items from him, and then fled in the same vehicle”
Dorzon, 39, and the woman both survived what police are calling a “tragic, heinous, violent” shooting, and fortunately both survived the hail of bullets and were hospitalized with serious wounds.
Surveillance Video Shows Star Chef Tobias Dorzon and Girlfriend, Shot, Robbed and Left For Dead
Surveillance of the shooting is chilling and their survival can only be described as the work of God or some horrible novice gunmen.
After opening fire, a gunman can be spotted in the video surveillance footage robbing Dorzon, who was lying in the street and reportedly begging for his life. His female companion was seen limping behind a nearby car.
Dorzon is a respected member of the Hyattsville community and considered a beloved person of high character and a success story.
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.
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’s venture into culinary arts was inspired by his West African heritage and his post-NFL career took off when he starred on several cooking shows, including ‘Chopped,’ ‘Tournament of Champions,’ and ‘Guy’s Grocery Games.’
NFL Players Are Clearly Robbery Targets
The past several seasons, a number of NFL players have been shot during robbery attempts, and fortunately none of them have lost their lives.
Denver Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds is living a miracle after surviving getting shot twice on Oct. 18 when the 29-year-old was reportedly stalked from a strip club and was hit by a pair of bullets.
In September, a 17-year-old boy shot San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the chest in a robbery attempt. Pearsall was taking a stroll around 3:30 p.m. PT, when an altercation broke out between the two, resulting in both of them suffering injuries, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
Back in 2022, Washington Commanders rookie Brian Robinson Jr. was the victim of an attempted robbery in Washington, D.C., where he was shot multiple times.
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Stay tuned for more details and an update on how Tobias is doing after facing death and surviving.
