Former NFL player, award-winning restaurateur shot during Maryland robbery attempt

A former NFL player who has since become an award-winning chef and restaurateur was shot during an attempted robbery Tuesday night in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Hyattsville Police reported two people - one man and one woman - were shot while returning from dinner, but did not share their names or conditions.

Prince George's County Council Member Wanika Fisher told Tobias Dorzon was one of the victims, is recovering from his injuries, and she was distraught after learning her constituent and friend had been shot.

After playing in the NFL, Dorzon became a chef.

He returned home to Prince George's County, where he opened Huncho House, which has garnered rave reviews.

However, Fisher said his success is only the tip of the iceberg as to why he has become an important leader in the community.

"He employs Northwestern High School students in his restaurants. He makes sure his kitchen has Black and Brown chefs, and women," Fisher said. "He lives in my district, he owns a business in my district, he's a friend, he supports my community. I am just saddened, but I'm enraged."

Just six months ago, Fisher and her council colleagues .

Then, he had just been named Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Maryland, becoming the first from Prince George's County to earn the distinction.

At the council meeting, he talked about how important it was for him to return home.

"Leave Houston, and come home to be able to give people in our county an opportunity to come back, to work," Dorzon said during the May ceremony. "I'm here to stay. I'm here to continue to make the county better."

Hyattsville Police said they are looking for five victims, as well as a white SUV with a sunroof.

"I'm doing all that I can to support our Hyattsville Police Department to bring these perpetrators to justice and to support Tobias and his family at this time," Fisher said.

asked Fisher if an incident like this, involving someone with such a high profile, would push the county to again address gun violence.

"The reality for Prince George's County is gun laws are in Annapolis. The county level is the police department. We don't have the authority to ban certain things like D.C. does. That's Annapolis. I think it's really imperative for us to continue to advocate for that, as the council has done," Fisher said. "You have to get the illegal guns off the street. We are a border district. Illegal weapons come into my community from D.C., from Virginia, from other places. Illegal guns, untraced guns, are a huge national problem. It's not one local body that can fix that. I think it's about investment. I think what this highlights is, like you saw, lighting, more cameras, whatever we can do locally, greater police recruitment. That's why I fought so much with bonuses for our police department in this budget cycle. We have to do everything we can, but it takes multiple levels of government to get these weapons off the street."

Anybody with information on this case is asked to call Hyattsville Police at 301-985-5050.