Tobias Dorzon, a former NFL player turned chef and restaurateur, was one of two people shot during a robbery in Prince George's County, Maryland, on Tuesday night, according to a county council member.

“Such a terrible act could not have happened to a better person. 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,” County Council member Wanika Fisher said in a statement.

Hyattsville police said the shooting happened around 10 p.m. in the 2500 block of Kirkwood Place, where Dorzon and a woman were returning home from dinner. Police Chief Jarod Towers said four suspects then got out of another vehicle driven by a fifth suspect and opened fire on Dorzon and the woman, firing dozens of shots.

“Both were hit multiple times by gunfire. The suspects then approached the victim, took his personal items, and then fled the area in the same vehicle, a white, small SUV crossover with a sunroof,” Towers said.

Both Dorzon and the woman survived, but were both hospitalized with serious injuries.

Towers called the shooting a “tragic, heinous, violent offense.”

“This will not be tolerated here in the city of Hyattsville. “It will not be tolerated anywhere in Prince George’s County or the region,” Towers said. “We will close this case. We will not stop until we seek justice in this case and this is a barbaric offense.”

Dorzon is a highly acclaimed chef who owns and operates two restaurants in Hyattsville – Huncho House and 1123 By Chef Tobias. He has appeared on several food-themed reality television shows, including Chopped, Guy Fieri's Tournament of Champions, and Guy's Grocery Games.

“Especially when an incident like this happens to someone like Chef Tobias, who is a community member, a leader and a very well-known person, it just shakes people's view of safety,” Fisher told WTOP.

Earlier this year, Dorzon became the first Prince George's County resident to be named Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Maryland.

“He had such a big influence. Tobias was a catalyst for change. He really took University Town Center to the next level,” Fisher said. “We have truly been in a prosperous time, I would say an invigorating time, for this side of Hyattsville, and I am very proud of the work we are doing together. But this incident involving him in a place he chooses not only to work but also to live and make home is simply heartbreaking.”

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