New York City police shot and killed a woman on Monday, August 31, 2026, after she stabbed two people in Times Square. One of the stabbing victims, identified as 32-year-old Erin Piacenti, died from her injuries. The shooting occurred near an NYPD substation outside One Times Square.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that the suspect, identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, pulled two kitchen knives from a shopping bag at approximately 4:30 p.m. According to Tisch, Cisneros first stabbed a 68-year-old man in the abdomen as he waited to cross the street with his wife after exiting a subway station. Seconds later, she stabbed Piacenti, also in the abdomen.
Bank of America confirmed on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, that Piacenti was an employee at the company. Piacenti was a 2021 graduate of Fordham Law School. The 68-year-old male victim was hospitalized and reported to be in stable condition as of Monday.
Social media footage and police statements indicate that at least 10 officers surrounded Cisneros and ordered her to drop the weapons. Tisch reported that Cisneros refused, stating, "I’m not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you." Officers deployed a Taser, but it failed to incapacitate her. When Cisneros moved toward officers while waving the knives, two officers fired their weapons, fatally striking her. Police noted that Cisneros had a documented mental health history with the department involving incidents in 2018 and 2019, though she had no prior arrest record.
The incident affected visitors and commuters in one of the most heavily policed and touristed areas of the United States. The NYPD reported no evidence of terrorism.
An investigation by the NYPD into the circumstances of the stabbings and the subsequent police-involved shooting is ongoing. As of September 1, 2026, the identity of the 68-year-old male victim remains unreleased. Bank of America and Fordham Law School have issued statements regarding Piacenti's death.