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The person who died after being stabbed by a woman Monday afternoon in Times Square was identified as a New Jersey woman who worked for Bank of America.
Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester, New Jersey, was stabbed in the abdomen after Pamela Cisneros, 49, pulled out two knives and randomly attacked Piacenti and a 68-year-old man, police said.
The NYPD said responding officers were forced to shoot and kill Cisneros when she advanced toward them with the knives.
Officers spoke with Cisneros for about four minutes, ordering her to drop the weapons, but she refused and allegedly threatened their lives.
“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,'” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on Monday.
Multiple officers deployed their Tasers, but police say they were ineffective. That is when two officers fired their weapons, killing Cisneros.
The NYPD said the knives were recovered at the scene and the investigation remains ongoing by the Force Investigation Division.
Piacenti was a 2016 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and earned her law degree from Fordham, the schools said.
“We are heartbroken to learn of the tragic and senseless loss of our alumna, Erin [Guiltinan] Piacenti. Erin and her husband, Frank, graduated in 2021 and have been cherished members of the Fordham Law family. During this devastating time, our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathies are with Frank, their families, and all who knew and loved Erin,” a Fordham University spokesperson added.
Piacenti’s employer, Bank of America, said in a statement: “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones.”
The man who was stabbed, a Rhode Island resident, remains stable in the hospital, officers said. Police sources said he was with his wife and had been visiting their son, who lives in Brooklyn.
The two were on their way back home when the attack happened. Sources said he had no connection to Cisneros and there wasn’t a prior altercation before the attack.
On Tuesday morning, tourists and locals in Times Square were unnerved as they learned about the violent encounter that unfolded.
“It was actually kind of scary because I go to school right here, so, you know, seeing that you wouldn’t think that would happen in the middle of Times Square,” Reya Patel said.
Police said Cisneros, who has roots in Jackson Heights, Queens, had a documented mental health history with the NYPD, with incidents in 2018 and 2019, but no arrests.
“I hope we can continue to address mental health issues, especially the ones that affect people this drastically,” witness Max Weinbrown said.
Mario Cisneros, Pamela Cisneros’ father, told CBS News New York he was aware of his daughter’s mental health struggles and thought she was getting help.
He said she had a master’s in psychology, and he doesn’t understand how should have killed someone. In Spanish, he said his daughter wasn’t a beast, she was a human being.
Mario Cisneros asked for forgiveness from the victims and their families.
“I am sorry for what my daughter did. I am suffering like they are suffering,” he said in Spanish.
As Piacenti’s loved ones grapple with her loss, Mario Cisneros says he is struggling to accept what his daughter did.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the shooting was captured on police body cameras, and that the footage will be released at a later date.
