Woman Kills One, Injures Another in Times Square Stabbing
A woman armed with two knives killed one person and critically injured another in a rapid, unprovoked attack in the heart of Times Square on Monday afternoon before police shot and killed her when she refused to drop her weapons.
The attack unfolded in broad daylight along Seventh Avenue, one of the busiest tourist corridors in the country, sending pedestrians scrambling and prompting a heavy police response in the minutes that followed. The stretch of Times Square where the stabbings occurred is typically packed with tourists, commuters, and street performers on a weekday afternoon, and video from bystanders captured people running from the area as officers rushed in.
How the Attack Unfolded
Police say the suspect, identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, pulled two kitchen knives from a red shopping bag near West 42nd Street shortly before 4:30 p.m. on August 31, 2026. Within about 20 seconds, she stabbed a 68-year-old man in the abdomen as he exited a nearby subway station, then turned and stabbed a 32-year-old woman as she walked past. Both attacks appeared to be entirely random, with no apparent connection between Cisneros and either victim.
Cisneros then continued walking north on Seventh Avenue while still holding both knives, according to police, as officers moved to intercept her near a NYPD substation between West 42nd and 43rd Streets.
The Victims
The male victim, an elderly man, was hospitalized in stable condition after surgery for his injuries.
The woman, identified as 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey, was fatally stabbed near the Crossroads of the World before being rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Piacenti worked as a vice president of business selection and conflicts at Bank of America in New York City, according to sources. She had recently celebrated her second wedding anniversary, according to social media posts.
A Standoff Ends in Gunfire
Officers confronted Cisneros and repeatedly ordered her to drop the knives during a standoff that lasted several minutes. She refused, telling police, "I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you." Officers deployed Tasers twice without stopping her before two officers fired their service weapons around 4:27 p.m. Cisneros was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she died from her injuries.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the stabbings as "random and unprovoked" and said officers gave Cisneros numerous commands to drop the weapon before force was used. Police say Cisneros had a documented mental health history, including prior contacts with officers, though no arrest record. Investigators do not believe the attack was terrorism-related.
From the moment Cisneros stabbed the first victim to the moment officers opened fire, roughly five minutes passed, according to a timeline pieced together from the initial 911 call and police radio traffic. That window included the brief, tense standoff during which officers tried repeatedly to get Cisneros to surrender the knives before resorting to force.
Officials Respond
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he wanted "to thank the NYPD officers who stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse." City officials confirmed an internal review of the shooting is underway and that body-worn camera footage from the responding officers will be released publicly, in keeping with standard department procedure for police-involved shootings.
The attack has renewed conversations in New York City about mental health crisis response and public safety in high-traffic tourist areas, even as officials stressed the incident does not appear to reflect any broader threat to Times Square or the subway system. Advocates for crisis intervention reform have pointed to the case as another example of the gaps that can exist between documented mental health contacts and the kind of sustained care that might prevent a violent episode.
The NYPD's internal review will examine both the use of force by officers and the department's prior interactions with Cisneros, standard practice following any police-involved shooting in the city. Times Square remained open to the public later Monday evening, though the immediate block where the attack occurred was cordoned off for much of the afternoon as investigators processed the scene.
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