New York Police Department (NYPD) personnel shot dead a woman who stabbed two people with two large knives and repeatedly refused orders from officers to drop her weapons.
The whole scene, which was captured on camera, unfolded in New York’s Times Square on Monday afternoon.
The woman, later identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, took two large knives to one of the busiest areas of Manhattan and attacked two people near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue at around 4:30 p.m.
The first victim was a 68-year-old man who had just exited a subway station and was waiting to cross the street with his wife when Cisneros allegedly pulled the knives from a red shopping bag and stabbed him in the abdomen.
Cisneros then moved up Seventh Avenue and, around 20 seconds later, stabbed a 32-year-old woman in the abdomen.
The woman was identified as Erin Piacenti, a vice president at Bank of America, who died at Bellevue Hospital from her injuries. Bank of America described Piacenti as a valued colleague and expressed its condolences to her family.
The 68-year-old man was also taken to Bellevue Hospital and remains in stable condition.
After the two attacks, Cisneros was confronted by police near the NYPD’s Times Square substation. Officers spent about four minutes ordering her to drop the knives, but she refused.
According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Cisneros told officers, “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you,” before repeating, “I will kill you.”
Officers deployed Tasers, but they failed to stop her. Two officers then opened fire as Cisneros advanced toward them while holding the knives.
Cisneros was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Police said the attacks appeared to be random and unprovoked. Cisneros had a documented history of mental health-related incidents with the NYPD in 2018 and 2019, but no prior arrests. Authorities have found no indication that the attack was terrorism-related.
The police shooting is now under investigation, while Mayor Zohran Mamdani said body-camera footage of the confrontation will be released.
2026-09-01 21:00:00
