# Times Square stabbing and police shooting

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/times-square-stabbing-and-police-shooting
> Updated: 2026-09-01T00:22:29.000Z. Sources: 302. Developments: 2.

On Monday afternoon, August 31, 2026, a violent incident occurred in New York City’s Times Square near West 42nd and 43rd Streets. The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Woodside, Queens, allegedly emerged from a shopping bag with two large kitchen knives and attacked two pedestrians near the intersection of West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue in a series of random, unprovoked attacks lasting approximately 20 seconds. 

According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Cisneros first stabbed a 68-year-old man in the abdomen as he exited a subway station; he remains in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital. She then attacked 32-year-old Erin Piacenti, a vice president at Bank of America and resident of Chester, New Jersey. Piacenti, a 2021 graduate of Fordham Law School, sustained abdominal wounds and later died at Bellevue Hospital. Bank of America released a statement expressing profound shock and sadness, describing Piacenti as a highly valued colleague who had recently returned to her role following maternity leave.

Following the stabbings, Cisneros reportedly fled toward an NYPD substation. Officers attempted to negotiate for four minutes and deployed a Taser, but the suspect refused to drop the weapons, stating, “I am not dropping anything. I would rather kill you both.” The situation escalated when she advanced toward officers, prompting two officers to discharge their service weapons. Cisneros was struck and later pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital. 

Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed the deaths of both the suspect and Piacenti. Authorities stated the incident does not appear to be terrorism-related and is being investigated as a potentially random attack related to a mental health crisis. While Cisneros had no prior arrest record, she had a documented history of mental health issues involving the NYPD in 2018 and 2019.

## Claims

- A woman armed with a knife was shot and wounded by police in Times Square after stabbing two people. (disputed by 13 sources)
- The suspect, 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, was shot and killed by NYPD officers. (disputed by 12 sources)
- A 68-year-old man was injured in the attack and is in stable condition. (corroborated by 52 sources)
- A woman armed with knives stabbed at least two people in Times Square. (corroborated by 40 sources)
- Police shot the woman after she refused to drop the knives. (corroborated by 37 sources)
- Police deployed a Taser before firing shots at the suspect. (corroborated by 31 sources)
- The attack was random and unprovoked. (corroborated by 29 sources)
- Erin Piacenti, 32, was killed in the attack. (corroborated by 28 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-01: NYPD officers shoot woman following alleged double stabbing

NYPD officers shot an emotionally disturbed woman in Manhattan after she allegedly stabbed two people and advanced toward police while wielding two knives.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nypd-officers-shoot-woman-following-alleged-double-stabbing

### 2026-08-31: Times Square stabbing: Bank of America executive killed, suspect shot by police

A Bank of America executive, Erin Piacenti, was killed and a man injured in a random knife attack in Times Square. The suspect, Pamela Cisneros, was shot dead by NYPD officers after a four-minute standoff.

301 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/times-square-stabbing-nypd-shoots-woman-armed-with-knives

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Cite as: Times Square stabbing and police shooting. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/times-square-stabbing-and-police-shooting