Police arrest suspect in fatal shooting of woman exercising on Nashville trail
Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A 29-year-old man has been arrested for the fatal shooting of Alyssa Lokits, who was killed Monday while exercising on a wooded trail in Tennessee.
Paul Park, 29, of Brentwood, Tenn., located south of Nashville, was arrested Tuesday and charged with criminal homicide.
Authorities said he was taken into custody around 3 p.m. EDT by detectives as he was driving on Autumn Crossing Way in Davidson County, minutes after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The Metro Nashville Police Department posted a video to its X account showing Park being escorted in handcuffs from a patrol car into the police headquarters, with a caption stating his arrest was the result of "incredible investigative work from Homicide and Specialized Investigations detectives."
BREAKING: IN CUSTODY - Less than 24 hours after the fatal shooting of Alyssa Lokits, 34, on the Mill Creek Greenway, incredible investigative work from Homicide & Specialized Investigations detectives led to the arrest just now of Paul Park, 29, of Brentwood. pic.twitter.com/hFzq8qFcjw— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) October 15, 2024
Lokits, 34, was shot at about 5:30 p.m. Monday on the Mill Creek Greenway, a popular walking trail in Nashville. Authorities said she was found in the wooded area suffering from a gunshot wound, and was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she died.
Witnesses told police that a woman had been heard screaming for help, stating someone was trying to rape her, before a gunshot was heard. A man was poretedly seen fleeing the parking area in a dark-colored 4-door sedan.
Authorities on Tuesday said investigations revealed Lokits had been walking in the greenway path area when a man stepped out from between two parked cars and began to follow her.
The Metro Nashville Police Department said they were able to identify Park as a suspect after a local resident provided police Monday night with dash camera footage from a car that had been parked at the greenway trailhead, which showed clear images of the suspect and his vehicle.
Authorities said Park was seen returning to his gray BMW sedan with scratches on his arms and blood on his clothing.