Woman killed in random Times Square stabbing was at 1st day at work after maternity leave
New York City police fatally shot an apparently emotionally disturbed woman after she allegedly stabbed two people in Times Square in a "random and unprovoked" attack on Monday afternoon, authorities said.
One of the victims, 32-year-old Erin Piacenti of Chester, New Jersey, died at a hospital, according to the NYPD.
Piacenti worked at Bank of America. The bank said in a statement that it is "shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague," adding, "our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones."
Piacenti and her husband welcomed a baby girl five months ago, and she was killed on her first day back at work after maternity leave, according to a GoFundMe page.
She and her husband both graduated from Fordham Law School in 2021, according to school officials, who said they are "heartbroken to learn of the tragic and senseless loss of our alumna."
The other victim, a 68-year-old man from Rhode Island, was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition, officials said.
The victims were stabbed within 20 seconds of each near 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
The 68-year-old had just exited the subway and was waiting to cross the street with his wife when the suspect pulled two knives from a bag, waved them and then allegedly stabbed him in the abdomen "in what appears to be a random and unprovoked attack," Tisch said at a press briefing.
The suspect then went up Seventh Avenue toward 42nd Street, where she approached the second victim, who was similarly stabbed in the abdomen in an apparently random, unprovoked attack, Tisch said.
The suspect allegedly then fled north toward the NYPD substation, authorities said. Witnesses flagged down officers who confronted her for four minutes and "gave her numerous commands to drop the knife," which she refused, Tisch said.
"During the encounter, she told the officers, 'I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.' She repeated, 'I will kill you,'" Tisch said.
Officers deployed Tasers before two officers discharged their service weapons, Tisch said.
The suspect, identified by police as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, was pronounced dead at a hospital. She had a "documented mental health history," Tisch said.
Police officials stressed the woman appears emotionally disturbed and the incident is not terror-related.
Two knives were recovered from the scene, Tisch. The NYPD also released a photo of the recovered weapons.
"I want to thank the NYPD officers who stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse," NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during the press briefing. "This is what the men and women of this department do every single day to keep our city safe."
The NYPD will conduct an internal investigation and body-worn camera footage will be released to the public, the mayor said.
