Times Square Double Stabbing Leaves Woman Dead, Man Injured; Suspect Fatally Shot by Police
- A 32-year-old woman was killed and a 68-year-old man injured in two random stabbing attacks in Times Square.
- Police said suspect Pamela Cisneros attacked the strangers within about 20 seconds using two kitchen knives.
- Officers fatally shot Cisneros after Tasers failed and she allegedly advanced towards them while threatening to kill them.
A woman was killed and a man injured after a suspect allegedly stabbed two strangers in separate, unprovoked attacks in New York City’s Times Square on August 31, 2026.
The incident unfolded at around 4:24 p.m. near West 41st and 42nd streets and Seventh Avenue, one of Manhattan’s busiest and most heavily policed areas.
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Time square shooting https://t.co/wYKSQ1tmcb
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According to police, 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Woodside, Queens, was carrying two kitchen knives inside a red Target bag when she approached a 68-year-old man who had recently exited the subway and was waiting to cross the street with his wife.
Rest in peace Erin. 😞😪💔 https://t.co/x7xEeYeM8z
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Cisneros allegedly stabbed the man in the abdomen before continuing north along Seventh Avenue. The victim, who was visiting his son in Brooklyn, was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he remained in stable condition. Investigators found no previous connection between him and the attacker.
Around 20 seconds later, Cisneros allegedly stabbed 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey, in the abdomen. Piacenti was rushed to Bellevue Hospital but could not be saved.
Police described both attacks as random and unprovoked, saying there was no apparent relationship between the suspect and either victim. Authorities also said there was no indication that the violence was connected to terrorism.
Piacenti served as vice president of Business Selection and Conflicts at Bank of America, whose Manhattan office at One Bryant Park is located close to the scene. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and Fordham Law School in 2021.
While studying at the University of Pennsylvania, Piacenti was a member of the Penn Dischord a cappella group. She and her husband, Frank, had recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary on August 10 and purchased their first home in Chester in September 2025. Her former surname was Guiltinan.
Bank of America expressed shock and sadness over her death, describing Piacenti as a valued colleague who would be greatly missed.
Following the attacks, bystanders alerted nearby police officers, who located Cisneros close to an NYPD substation near West 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue.
Officers reportedly spoke to her for approximately four minutes and repeatedly ordered her to drop the knives. Police said she refused, threatened to kill the officers and continued waving the weapons.
Multiple Tasers were deployed but failed to stop her. Two officers then opened fire when Cisneros allegedly advanced towards them while still holding the knives. She was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The NYPD’s Force Investigation Division is examining the police shooting, while body-camera footage from the confrontation is expected to be released. Videos showing the encounter on the crowded pavement, surrounded by pedestrians and taxis, have also circulated widely online.
Police said Cisneros had no arrest history in New York City but had a documented history of mental health-related encounters with the NYPD in 2018 and 2019.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the incident as an extraordinarily dangerous situation in the heart of Times Square. Mayor Zohran Mamdani thanked the responding officers and said the required internal investigation would be conducted.
The deadly attack in one of New York City’s most prominent tourist and commercial districts has renewed concerns about public safety in Times Square.
