Tobias Dorzon’s Nov. 5, 2024 date night began like any other. Dorzon, 40, known for his appearances on the Food Network and named 2024 Maryland Chef of the Year, juggles the demands of his two busy restaurants — Huncho House and 1123 by Chef Tobias — while continuing a biweekly date night tradition with his long-distance girlfriend, Crystal Swan, who had just flown into town.
The two decided to treat themselves to dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Northwest Washington, DC. The restaurant wasn’t extremely full, with only a few individuals hanging around at the bar, most likely watching election night news.
Following dinner, the pair took a 30-minute Uber ride back to Dorzon’s home in Hyattsville, Maryland. When the car arrived, Dorzon spotted another car stop just behind them. He didn’t think much of it, expecting it to drive around once their Uber moved. However, when he stepped out to open the car door for his fiancée, he noticed the back doors of the other car fly open and several people emerge with pistols drawn. Moments later, the suspects started shooting. Ironically, it was the one night he had gone out without his security team.
“I was trying to cover her, and then I started getting hit,” Dorzon, a former NFL player, tells PEOPLE. “I went to the ground and tried to drag myself toward the curb, but I couldn’t hear my girl,” he adds, adding that everything around him went silent.
He says, “You had that final second of almost thinking; are you still going to be here? What are these people walking towards you after shooting you many times for? Are they going to kill you? Are they going to rob you? You don’t know what will happen in the end. I’m just hoping my kids are okay.”
Dorzon claims the group stole his Audemars Piguet watch, diamond necklace, and other things. According to charge records obtained by WJLA, the stolen items were worth approximately $100,000, and five individuals fled the scene in a stolen car.
“At that point, I’m thinking they’re going to pretty much finish me off,” he jokes. He could see his hands were bleeding, but he had no idea how badly he had been shot.
He was able to FaceTime his brother while lying on the curb, telling him what was going on. Dorzon had been shot 11 times, and his girlfriend was also struck, collapsing on the front yard. A neighbor contacted 911, but then everything became blurry for him.
One of the suspects was eventually identified as Devin Demetrius Spivey, 21, who is facing 18 charges including attempted first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, armed robbery, and stalking.
Spivey has pled not guilty, and his attorney, Brendan Callahan, tells PEOPLE that the trial will begin on December 5. “It is still an ongoing investigation and there are numerous other suspects still at large,” Callahan informed the audience. “There are many unanswered questions in the case and we are confident that further investigation will reveal that Devin Spivey did not shoot Mr. Dorzon.”
Dorzon awoke in the hospital, told he would most likely never be able to walk again after losing feeling below his left knee. His 39-year-old partner, who also survived, was by his side, bringing encouragement as he began the long road to recovery.
“I really didn’t know what to take away from everything,” he tells PEOPLE. “For somebody that just never really been in trouble, I thought coming back home to build something in my hometown, being a hometown hero, something like that could never happen to me.”
He continues, “I ask myself every day, ‘Was I wrong to go out that night?'” Should I not have gone out that night? There are so many questions that I ask myself, but I’m here. Every day, I remind myself that God has a greater purpose for me.
After two months in the hospital, many operations, and physical rehabilitation, he overcame the odds. He undergoes physical treatment three days a week, regaining strength and agility, despite the fact that he has no feeling in one finger following repair.
Guy Fieri, a fellow chef and Food Network personality, has been supportive throughout Dorzon’s recuperation, culminating in a February reunion that went viral on Instagram, in which Dorzon, coming up to Fieri with a cane, demonstrated how far he had come.
Dorzon, who has appeared on Guy’s Grocery Games and Tournament of Champions, says, “Even after the shooting, he was constantly on the phone with me checking in, making sure the medical staff were taking care of me, offering to order food for everyone, and simply encouraging me. He’s been there for me every step of the way.
The encounter also had an emotional impact on his family, particularly his two daughters, Riley, 19, and Torienne, 11. Dorzon believes it is terrible that it took such a tragic occurrence to bring them all together, but sorrow also brings triumph. “Ever since that has happened, my family [has] been like glue,” he jokes. “It’s been a great thing.”
Dorzon returns to television one year later, on November 5, with the launch of Food Network’s Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas. Because he can’t move as rapidly, he’s focusing more on the nuances of his meals, polishing his skill in new ways.
“I’m just super grateful to be here, to be in the moment, and to still be able to cook and give people an experience,” says the chef. “That has always been my biggest focus and my dream, to create a memorable food experience for others.”
