Female runner, 34, shot dead while exercising on popular greenway trail after screaming ‘Help! He’s trying to rape me’

On Monday night (14 October), Alyssa Lokits, 34, was tragically shot and died while working out on Nashville's Mill Creek Greenway. She screamed, according to witnesses, and residents and local officials are now debating possible safety precautions for the well-liked route in the wake of the incident.

She was attacked at approximately 5.30pm, and witnesses claimed to have heard her scream for assistance. According to the police, Lokits was discovered in the forested area next to the trail, suffering from a gunshot wound.

It appears she parked at a separate trailhead along Pettus Avenue before going on to the greenway, based on the location of her vehicle. In a statement to News 2, the Metro Board of Parks and Recreation expressed shock and sadness over the deadly attack. They extended condolences to Lokits’ family, urging anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

The statement read: “We are shocked and saddened by this senseless tragedy. Our sincerest condolences to the family. We encourage anyone who has information about this incident to contact the Metro Nashville Police Department”.

Police made an arrest in the case the next day. Paul Park, 29, was charged with criminal homicide. Park reportedly dragged her to an overgrown area, attempted to sexually assault her, and then fatally shot her.

Investigators report Lokits was walking in the area when Park allegedly "stepped out from between two parked vehicles and began following her at a brisk pace," according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Key evidence emerged from a local resident's dashcam footage.

The video clearly captured Park, including a partial tag from his vehicle. It also showed him following Lokits before the assault and later returning to his gray BMW sedan with scratches on his arms and blood on his clothing.

According to her obituary, she had a Ph.D. in neuroscience and is survived by her parents, eight siblings and their spouses, plus a large extended family. The obituary read: “Alyssa was the best of us. She deeply loved her family and friends. Always poised, graceful, and beautiful, she was everyone’s champion. An avid traveller, she spoke several languages, and loved to take on new challenges ranging from home renovation, to art, and any topic she set her mind to.”