A regular Monday afternoon turned into a horrifying scene in New York City’s Times Square when a woman armed with two knives allegedly attacked two strangers, killing one and seriously injuring another.
Keep reading to learn more.
Pamela Cisneros, 49, of Queens, was confronted by NYPD officers at around 4:30 p.m. on August 31, 2026, after the attacks.
According to authorities, Cisneros had allegedly stabbed a 68-year-old man before attacking 32-year-old Erin Piacenti, a young Bank of America executive from New Jersey.
The situation ended when Cisneros reportedly refused repeated commands to drop her weapons and charged toward officers with the knives still in her hands.
Two officers then opened fire, striking her in the chest. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
As videos of the dramatic confrontation spread online, more details have emerged about Piacenti, whose death came just weeks after she celebrated her second wedding anniversary.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague,” her employers said in a statement.
The first victim was a 68-year-old man who was attacked near a subway station
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the violence began near West 41st Street, where Cisneros allegedly approached a 68-year-old man as he exited the subway.
Authorities said she pulled two knives from a red Target bag and stabbed the man in the abdomen while he was waiting to cross the street.
He was rushed to a hospital for treatment, although authorities had not released an update on his condition as of September 1.
Cisneros then allegedly continued toward 42nd Street, where she encountered Piacenti.
Investigators described the attack on Piacenti as unprovoked.
The 32-year-old was reportedly working as a vice president at Bank of America, where she focused on business selection and conflicts.
She was attacked only a few blocks from the company’s New York office.
Erin Piacenti had recently celebrated her second wedding anniversary
Piacenti’s death has left her colleagues, friends, and family devastated.
According to reports, she had celebrated her second wedding anniversary with her husband, Frank Piacenti, on August 10, just three weeks before she was killed.
She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 before earning her law degree from Fordham Law School in 2021.
Fordham Law expressed heartbreak over her death, while those who knew her remembered a young professional whose life was suddenly cut short.
Her death has also drawn comparisons in some media coverage to the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, although there is currently no indication that Piacenti was specifically targeted because of her position or employer.
Cisneros allegedly threatened police before charging at them with the knives
After the two attacks, NYPD officers located Cisneros near Times Square and surrounded her.
Commissioner Tisch said officers gave her “numerous commands” to drop the knives.
Instead, Cisneros allegedly responded with a threat.
“I’m not dropping anything. I would rather k**l both of you. I’ll k**l you,” she reportedly told the officers.
Videos recorded by people in the area appeared to show officers attempting to use Tasers on her.
When those efforts failed to stop her, Cisneros allegedly raised her arms and charged toward the officers while holding the knives.
At that point, two officers opened fire.
Cisneros was struck in the chest and fell to the ground. Officers immediately moved in, handcuffed her, and began performing life-saving measures.
She was later pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.
“Our officers were confronted with a rapidly evolving threat with countless innocent people around them. In that moment, they did what we trained them to do,” Tisch said.
Authorities have not identified a clear motive for the attacks, although officials have reportedly ruled out connections to a terrorist organization.
Cisneros’ brother said she had struggled with mental health problems for years
As investigators continued looking into what led to the attacks, Cisneros’ family revealed that she had experienced serious mental health struggles for many years.
Her brother, Patrick Peralta, 59, said she had never previously shown the kind of violent behavior that unfolded in Times Square.
“She never showed any aggressiveness or being violent. I don’t know what happened,” he told The Post.
Peralta said his sister had been a “happy-go-lucky kid” and that her mental health difficulties began roughly two decades ago, after the birth of her second daughter.
That daughter was later diagnosed with autism and lives in a group home in Brooklyn, while Cisneros’ other two children live in Florida with their father, her former husband.
According to Peralta, Cisneros attempted to take her own life in 2019 by jumping onto subway tracks. She subsequently received a formal mental-health diagnosis and was receiving regular treatment.
Peralta said he believed she may have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, although he acknowledged that he did not know the full details of her condition.
He also wondered whether she had stopped receiving her monthly medication injections.
“I think maybe she stopped the injection she was getting, and that caused her to act the way she was,” he said.
Her family said there had been no obvious warning signs before the attack
Peralta said he last saw his sister in early August when the family gathered for their stepfather’s birthday.
Their mother also spoke with Cisneros by phone on August 29, only two days before the deadly incident.
According to her brother, nothing about their conversations suggested that something was seriously wrong.
“There was no sign something was wrong,” he said.
However, he noted that Cisneros had not visited their mother the previous week, which was unusual for her.
The family is now left trying to understand what could have happened in the days leading up to the violence.
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