PITTSBURGH \u2014 More than four years after honor student Ahmir Tuli was murdered outside his mother\u2019s restaurant, the man who police say pulled the trigger is now on trial for a second time. <\/p>\n
Howard Hawkins\u2019 first murder trial ended in a mistrial.<\/p>\n
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 18-year-old North Hills High School grad dies after shooting outside Strip District bar<\/a><\/p>\n Family members of 18-year-old North Hills graduate Ahmir Tuli filled one side of the courtroom today. The other side was filled with supporters for Howard Hawkins, the man accused of murdering the teen.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> \u2018I want this monster caught\u2019: Family desperate for arrest after North Hills grad shot, killed outside Strip District bar <\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s the second time in a year that friends and family of both the victim and defendant gathered at the courthouse. Hawkins\u2019 first trial ended in a mistrial after a police officer mentioned his prior criminal record, which is not allowed during a trial.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Case against man accused in killing of teen outside Pittsburgh restaurant moving forward<\/a><\/p>\n During opening statements, the assistant district attorney told the jury Ahmir was working at his mom\u2019s restaurant, Preeti\u2019s Pit, as a line cook on the night he was killed in 2021. That night, prosecutors say security kicked Hawkins out of the bar, and he then got a gun from his car. <\/p>\n Not long after, Ahmir went outside for a break, and prosecutors say Hawkins shot him in the head, then walked away from the scene. <\/p>\n According to prosecutors, one of the security guards at the restaurant saw the shooting and identified Hawkins to the police. <\/p>\n In the opening statement by Hawkins\u2019 defense attorney, Casey White, he cast doubt on the security guard\u2019s version of the night, insinuating she wasn\u2019t completely sure who the shooter was. <\/p>\n The defense also told the jury that there aren\u2019t any fingerprints, DNA evidence, or a motive that ties Hawkins to Ahmir\u2019s murder. <\/p>\n Months after the shooting, US Marshals picked up Hawkins across the country and brought him back here to Allegheny County.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Police: U.S. Marshals arrest man wanted in shooting death of teen outside Strip District bar<\/a><\/p>\n Police also charged his girlfriend, Chayla Robinson, with helping Hawkins escape. Her trial is scheduled for November. <\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92025 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n