HYATTSVILLE, Md. — Police are searching for the five people who shot a couple in Hyattsville while trying to rob them. One of the victims is a popular Prince George's County chef.
According to Hyattsville Police, they received calls of a shooting at 10:14 p.m. on Tuesday. Officers arrived in the 2500 block of Kirkwood Place where they found a man and woman with gunshot wounds.
Both victims were taken to a hospital. Their current condition is unknown.
The victims told police they were on their way home from dinner when they were approached by a group of five.
At some point, the two were shot. It is unclear if an altercation occurred between the group and the couple. Police have not released any suspect descriptions at this time.
One of the victims has been identified by friends and family as Tobias Dorzon, a famous chef and former NFL player.
Neighbors’ surveillance cameras caught the rapid gunfire from Tuesday night. His family tells WUSA9 he and his girlfriend are still in the hospital; they’re asking for prayers.
In the surveillance footage, the suspects can be seen checking Dorzon's pockets after shooting him multiple times — then you hear and see his girlfriend cry and scream as she crawls and hides behind a car.
WUSA9 spoke with a neighbor who asked us to shield his identity. He's concerned about retaliation.
“Out of nowhere, may have heard a couple shots in between like it was coming from a handgun,” a neighbor who doesn’t want to be identified said.
Just after 10 p.m. — police said five suspects shot the couple while trying to rob them as they returned home from dinner to Kirkwood Place in Hyattsville.
“I’m familiar with him and some of the things he’s done in the community, so to hear something happening to him like that, it’s tragic,” neighbor who doesn’t want to be identified said.
Prince George’s County Councilmember Wanika Fisher says she's a friend of Dorzon and calls him a pillar in the community.
“He’s been so great about hiring Black and brown residents in his restaurant, helping students, a lot of the younger part time hires are actually Northwestern high school students,” Fisher said. “Tobias has been giving back so much.”
The Prince George’s County native is known for two of his restaurants in Hyattsville and for his personality that shines through everything he does, including his culinary work on the Food Network and shows on ESPN and Hulu.
“That’s what makes Tobias special, and I think that’s what resonates with not just my local residents, the entire DMV and nationally is that he brings his authentic self to everything he does,” Fisher said.
Earlier this year he became the first Prince George's County native to be recognized as the 2024 Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Maryland.
As police continue to search for those suspects — people are still trying to wrap their minds around why someone would do this.
“It’s tragic,” the neighbor said. “It’s really tragic.”
“I’ve have just been in prayer, I’ve been feeling angry,” Fisher said.