close
close

Tobias Dorzon, NFL player turned celebrity chef, was shot and killed in Maryland

Tobias Dorzon, NFL player turned celebrity chef, was shot and killed in Maryland
Posted on | Posted on angela

Dorzon, 39, who owns the Huncho House, and a woman were shot during a robbery in Hyattsville, Maryland, part of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. A local official says she is outraged.

An NFL player turned celebrity chef was shot and killed in an apparent robbery in Maryland, and now police say they are searching for five suspects.

The shooting occurred Wednesday when the suspects attempted to rob a man and a woman as they returned to dinner in Prince George's County, part of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, Hyattsville police said in a Facebook post. The couple's injuries were not life-threatening, it said.

While police did not identify the shooting victims, Prince George's County Council member Wanika Fisher issued a statement confirming that the man who was shot was Tobias Dorzon.

Dorzon once played running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans. Today he is the executive chef at Huncho House in Hyattsville.

“I am disheartened and saddened by the news that Prince George's County restaurant owner Tobias Dorzon was one of two people shot during an attempted robbery Tuesday evening in my county,” Fisher's statement said.

USA TODAY wanted to find out how Dorzon is doing now.

Wanika Fisher: “Looking forward to seeing Chef Dorzon back in the kitchen”

Dorzon owns two “fantastic restaurants in Hyattsville,” said Fisher, who also called him a “valued member of the District 2 community and a dear friend.”

“Such a terrible act could not have happened to a better person,” the council member said. “I extend my deepest condolences to him and the second victim, as well as their families and friends, and wish them both a speedy recovery. We have no place for this type of senseless violence in our district or county.”

In addition to sending congratulations, Fisher reflected on how she honored Dorzon with a proclamation after he was named 2024 Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Maryland. This honor made him the first chef from Prince George's County to receive the award.

“He is an extremely talented chef who has represented our county on the national stage while appearing on several Food Network programs,” Fisher’s statement said. “I want those responsible for this heinous act to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, and I look forward to seeing Chef Dorzon back in the kitchen soon.”

Before opening Huncho House, Dorzon was executive chef at NBA player James Harden's restaurant Thirteen in Houston, Texas, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Hyattsville Police: Suspects were driving a white SUV with a sunroof

Hyattsville police shared an X post on Wednesday announcing that the department now has descriptions of four of the five suspects and their vehicle, described as a “white SUV with a sunroof and unknown tag.”

The four suspects were described as men wearing black jackets with hoods. Three of them were holding semi-automatic handguns while another was carrying a short-barreled rifle, police said. According to the authority, two of them wore light-colored jeans, another wore dark pants with white stripes and the fourth wore plain dark pants.

Police are still working on a description of the fifth suspect, the department said.

Dorzon was shot just about 2 miles from Huncho House.

More about Tobias Dorzon

According to the 39-year-old's bio on his restaurant's website, Dorzon's love of food was inspired by cooking with his West African father as a child.

“His father traveled from West Africa and raised Tobias in Maryland, where he was able to apply his upbringing and culture to further his culinary skills,” the biography states. “With his Italian training and love for all regions of food, he wants to bring something unique and welcoming back to his hometown.”

Google lists Huncho House as temporarily closed.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *