A 49-year-old woman named Pamela Cisneros stabbed two people in Times Square, New York City, on August 31, 2026, killing one victim and seriously injuring another [1, 2, 3]. The attack began around 4:24 p.m. near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue when Cisneros stabbed a 68-year-old man [1, 3]. She then moved north, stabbing Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old vice president at Bank of America, near West 42nd Street; Piacenti later died from her wounds [1, 3, 4, 5].

Cisneros was confronted by police between West 42nd and 43rd Streets. Officers spent about four minutes trying to persuade her to drop her two knives, while she told them, "I'm not dropping anything, I'd rather kill both of you," according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch [1, 2, 3]. Police attempted to use Tasers, which failed to subdue Cisneros. She charged toward officers waving knives and was shot multiple times [1, 6, 7]. Cisneros was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead [1, 2, 3].

The 68-year-old male victim was seriously injured and remains in stable condition at Bellevue, while Piacenti, the female victim, died from her injuries; some sources noted uncertainty about the timing of her death [1, 3, 8]. Authorities have found no evidence linking the attack to terrorism or accomplices [3, 7]. Cisneros had no prior arrests but had documented mental health issues with NYPD in 2018 and 2019 [1, 3, 9].

The incident caused a large emergency response, closing off traffic and pedestrian flow in the busy Times Square area for several hours [6, 5, 9]. Video footage shows Cisneros wielding two knives surrounded by officers, with at least one failed Taser attempt before the shooting [6, 10, 8].

Bank of America expressed deep sorrow over the loss of their employee. A spokesperson said, "We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed," while Bank President Matthew Koder noted Piacenti joined the bank 18 months ago and was cherished by the team [3, 5].

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the attack random and unprovoked and thanked police for preventing further harm [2]. Authorities are investigating the use of lethal force by police, reviewing whether protocols were followed [1, 2].