A 32-year-old Bank of America executive was killed Monday after being stabbed in the abdomen during what authorities described as a random and unprovoked attack in the heart of Times Square.
Erin Piacenti, of Chester, New Jersey, was rushed to Bellevue Hospital after the attack but later died from her injuries. She worked as a vice president of business selection and conflicts at Bank of America.
The attack unfolded shortly after 4:20 p.m. near Seventh Avenue and West 42nd Street, one of the most heavily traveled sections of Manhattan. Police identified the alleged attacker as 49-year-old Queens resident Pamela Cisneros.
Authorities said Cisneros was armed with two large knives and attacked two people within seconds of each other.
The first victim was a 68-year-old man who had exited the subway and was waiting to cross the street with his wife when Cisneros allegedly pulled two knives from a shopping bag.
Cisneros then stabbed the man in the abdomen without provocation, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The victim was hospitalized and remained in stable condition Tuesday.
Moments later, Cisneros allegedly approached Piacenti and stabbed her in the abdomen.
Piacenti was transported to the hospital, where doctors were unable to save her. Her death was confirmed by police and Bank of America.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague,” Bank of America said in a statement. “She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones.”
Piacenti had recently celebrated her second wedding anniversary, according to social media posts cited by the New York Post. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and Fordham Law School in 2021, according to her social media profile.
After the stabbings, witnesses alerted nearby officers, who confronted Cisneros as she remained armed with the knives.
Police spent roughly four minutes ordering Cisneros to drop the weapons, but she repeatedly refused, according to Tisch.
During the confrontation, Cisneros allegedly threatened the responding officers.
“I’m not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you,” Cisneros said, according to Tisch. She also allegedly told officers, “I will kill you.”
Officers then deployed Tasers twice in an attempt to subdue Cisneros, but police said the less-lethal weapons failed to stop her.
When Cisneros continued advancing toward officers while holding the knives, two officers opened fire, authorities said.
Cisneros was struck by the gunfire before officers handcuffed her and immediately began providing first aid. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Police recovered both knives from the scene.
Tisch described the incident as an “extraordinarily dangerous situation” because of the enormous number of pedestrians who regularly pass through Times Square.
“At any given moment, there are thousands of New Yorkers, commuters, tourists, families, workers moving through these streets,” Tisch said.
Investigators believe the two victims were selected at random and said there was no evidence that the attack was connected to terrorism.
Police initially received reports of a robbery at knifepoint, but investigators later said they had not identified a clear motive for the attacks.
Tisch said Cisneros had a documented mental health history involving previous interactions with the NYPD in 2018 and 2019, though neither incident resulted in an arrest.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined Tisch in praising the officers who confronted Cisneros, saying their response may have prevented additional people from being attacked, per Trending Politics.
Witnesses described a chaotic and bloody scene as pedestrians fled and bystanders attempted to help the wounded victims.
One witness told the Daily News that she saw the male victim bleeding heavily before discovering another victim unconscious nearby as officers attempted to provide medical assistance.
Another witness described seeing the 68-year-old victim’s wife desperately trying to stop his bleeding while people nearby searched for materials to help.
The NYPD Force Investigation Division is investigating the officers’ fatal shooting of Cisneros. Mamdani said body-camera footage of the confrontation will eventually be released publicly.
Piacenti’s killing has drawn additional attention because of the apparently random nature of the attack and its location in one of New York City’s busiest tourist destinations.
Bank of America said Piacenti was a valued member of the company and expressed condolences to her family and loved ones as authorities continued investigating the deadly Times Square rampage.
