Ahmir Tuli

Ahmir Tuli was an 18-year-old Black male and a recent honors graduate from North Hills High School who loved sports and was known for his vibrant personality. He worked as a line cook at his mother’s restaurant, Preeti’s Pitt, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His mother, Preeti Tuli, was teaching him the business, hoping he would one day be her “wingman” and take it over. Friends remembered him as a sweet kid with an infectious smile and laugh.

On the night of February 21, 2021, Ahmir was working at the restaurant in the city’s Strip District. A patron, Howard Hawkins, got into an argument with another man and was kicked out by security around 8:55 p.m. Instead of leaving, Hawkins went to a car, retrieved a gun, and paced on the sidewalk. A short time later, around 9:11 p.m., Ahmir stepped outside for a break. Hawkins approached him and shot him once in the head. Paramedics rushed Ahmir to a hospital in critical condition, but he died from his injury. His mother was with him when he took his last breath.

Police issued an arrest warrant for Howard Hawkins, who also went by the name Mark McClendon, on charges including homicide and carrying a firearm without a license. After the shooting, Hawkins fled the state. His girlfriend, Chayla Robinson, was arrested and charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution for allegedly driving Hawkins from the scene and helping him get rid of evidence. On July 7, 2021, U.S. Marshals located and arrested Hawkins in North Hollywood, California. He was extradited to Pennsylvania and held in the Allegheny County Jail.

Hawkins’ first trial began in October 2024. Prosecutors presented evidence from city cameras and witness testimonies to outline the events of the shooting. However, the trial ended abruptly when a judge declared a mistrial after a police officer made a reference to Hawkins’ prior criminal record during testimony.

A retrial began the following year. Prosecutors again presented surveillance footage showing Hawkins being ejected from the bar, retrieving an object from a car, and approaching Ahmir moments before the fatal shot. In November 2025, after deliberating for less than three hours, a jury found Howard Hawkins guilty of first-degree murder and carrying a firearm without a license.

On January 30, 2026, a judge imposed the mandatory sentence for his conviction. Howard Hawkins was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Outside the courtroom, Ahmir's mother expressed both sorrow and relief, stating that justice had been done for her son.