Horrific Times Square Attack: Knife-Armed Woman Stabs Two Innocent People, NYPD Deploys Taser Then Guns — One Victim and Attacker Dead as Mayor Mamdani Praises Officers

A chaotic and bloody afternoon in the heart of New York City turned deadly on Monday when a woman armed with two knives launched a random stabbing spree through Times Square, leaving one person dead and another wounded before police shot and killed her.

According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the violence erupted around 4:24 p.m. near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue. Multiple 911 callers reported a woman stabbing people along the busy thoroughfare. Witnesses said the suspect, later identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, pulled two kitchen knives from a red Target shopping bag, waved them, and stabbed a 68-year-old man in the abdomen as he waited to cross the street with his wife after exiting the subway. Within roughly 20 seconds, she continued north and stabbed a 32-year-old woman, also in the abdomen.Both victims and Cisneros were rushed to Bellevue Hospital.

The 32-year-old woman, later identified as Erin Piacenti, a Bank of America vice president from Chester, New Jersey, was pronounced dead. The 68-year-old man remains in stable condition. Cisneros herself died from gunshot wounds.Officers quickly located Cisneros near West 43rd Street, close to an NYPD substation outside One Times Square. For approximately four minutes, they repeatedly ordered her to drop the knives. She refused. According to Tisch, who reviewed body-camera footage, Cisneros told officers, “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you,” and repeated threats including “I will kill you.”When Cisneros advanced toward the officers while still holding the knives, several deployed their Tasers.

The devices proved ineffective. Two officers then fired their service weapons, striking her. The entire confrontation was captured on body-worn cameras. An internal investigation into the police shooting is underway, as is standard procedure, and officials said the footage will eventually be released to the public.Tisch described the stabbings as “random and unprovoked.” Cisneros had a documented mental health history with the NYPD involving incidents in 2018 and 2019 but no prior arrests.

Authorities said there is no indication the attack was related to terrorism.New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined Tisch at a news conference and offered a direct message of support for the responding officers. “I want to thank the NYPD officers who stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse,” Mamdani said. He also expressed sorrow for the victims and their families, noting that their lives had been shattered by the violence.The incident unfolded in one of the world’s busiest tourist and commercial areas, filled with pedestrians, families, and workers heading home. Parts of Seventh Avenue were temporarily closed as investigators processed the scene. Witnesses described the sudden violence as shocking amid the usual crowds and energy of Times Square.The attack marks another reminder of the challenges facing public safety in dense urban spaces, even as overall violent crime and homicides in New York City have declined significantly this year. Officials emphasized that a heavy police presence remains in the area, particularly during peak tourist periods.