After the killing of Alyssa Lokits on a Nashville greenway, Tennessee lawmakers are pushing a bill that would force a statewide overhaul of how parks and trails are kept safe. The proposal would standardize lighting, design, signage and surveillance across Tennessee's state parks and local greenways.
Rep. Jason Powell and Sen. Jeff Yarbro have introduced the Alyssa Lokits Safety Act, with supporters from Lokits' family-founded nonprofit Free to Move scheduled to testify Wednesday, according to WSMV. Abby Lokits, director of Free to Move and Lokits' sister-in-law, said the bill "would affirm Tennessee as a pioneer in establishing a nationwide standard for safer parks and greenways," the station reported. Supporters say the measure is set for a Senate committee hearing this week.
Lokits' death and the investigation
Alyssa Lokits, 34, was found with a gunshot wound on the Mill Creek Greenway in Antioch after witnesses reported hearing her cry for help. She later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the Metro Nashville Police Department said.
Investigators said dash-cam footage and a partial license plate read helped identify 29-year-old Paul Park of Brentwood, who was arrested and booked on a criminal homicide charge, according to NewsChannel 5. Lokits' killing and the swift arrest have become the emotional backdrop for the push to toughen park safety rules statewide.
What the bill would do
The Alyssa Lokits Safety Act would direct the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to work with the Department of Safety and local governments to craft a comprehensive strategy on park safety, according to WSMV. That framework would cover park design, lighting, maintenance, signage, surveillance, programming and public involvement.
Backers say the bill would create a task force charged with coordinating recommendations and implementation. The work would touch 59 state parks and more than 500 local sites across Tennessee, potentially reshaping how everything from neighborhood greenways to major recreation areas are monitored and maintained.
Community response and recent incidents
In the wake of Lokits' death, her family founded Free to Move to press for trail safety improvements and public education. Metro Parks has since added cameras, more lighting and other security measures as part of its response, NewsChannel 5 reports.
A follow-up assault on the Mill Creek Greenway in January kept pressure on officials and organizers, according to a January assault on the same greenway, which advocates say underscores why statewide standards could matter far beyond Nashville.
Legal status
The suspect, Paul Park, has been charged with criminal homicide and booked into the Davidson County jail, and prosecutors are moving the case toward a grand jury, CBS News reported. Court filings show Park is due for an initial court appearance as investigators and prosecutors continue their work.
The bill now faces committee consideration and possible amendments at the Capitol. Supporters say this week's testimony is meant to build momentum and focus lawmakers on concrete steps that could make Tennessee's parks and greenways feel safer for everyone.
