The individual who tragically lost her life following a stabbing incident in Times Square on Monday afternoon has been identified as Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old employee of Bank of America from New Jersey.
According to law enforcement, Piacenti suffered a stab wound to the abdomen when Pamela Cisneros, 49, brandished two knives and targeted both Piacenti and a 68-year-old man in a random attack.
Officers from the New York Police Department were compelled to shoot Cisneros after she approached them with the knives in hand. The police reported that during a four-minute standoff, officers repeatedly instructed her to drop the weapons, but she refused and made threats against their lives.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the confrontation, stating, “During this encounter, she told the officers, ‘I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.’ She reiterated, ‘I will kill you.’” Officers attempted to subdue her with tasers, but those efforts proved unsuccessful, leading to the fatal shooting of Cisneros by two officers.
In response to Piacenti’s death, Bank of America spokesperson John Yiannacopoulos expressed the company’s sorrow, stating, “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 68-year-old man who was also attacked is reported to be in stable condition at a hospital. He was visiting his son in Brooklyn with his wife when the assault occurred. Sources indicate that he had no prior connection to Cisneros, and the attack was unprovoked.
The incident has left both tourists and locals in Times Square feeling unsettled, as they learned of the violent occurrence. Reya Patel, a student in the area, remarked, “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.”
Authorities noted that Cisneros had a history of mental health issues documented by the NYPD, with previous incidents recorded in 2018 and 2019, though she had not been arrested.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the shooting incident was captured on police body cameras, with plans to release the footage at a later time.
