Retrial begins in murder of Pittsburgh man killed outside his mom's restaurant

Testimony began Monday in the retrial of a man accused of gunning down a teenage line cook in front of his mother’s Strip District restaurant in 2021.

Ahmir Tuli, 18, was on his break outside his mother’s restaurant, Preeti’s Pit, shortly after 9 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2021. Police and prosecutors allege a confrontation followed between the teenager and Howard Hawkins, who had been tossed from the bar about 15 minutes earlier.

“Howard Hawkins walks over to Ahmir and within seconds shoots him in the head,” Assistant District Attorney Sarah Weikart told jurors in her opening statement. “Then he walks away as Ahmir’s body falls to the ground.”

She said numerous security cameras inside and outside of the Penn Avenue restaurant captured the fight inside, Hawkins’ retreat outside to his car, and th