Knife-wielding woman shot dead by NYPD after fatal Times Square stabbing
Text size
A knife-wielding woman was shot dead by police after allegedly stabbing two people, killing one, in a random attack in New York City’s Times Square on Monday.
The New York Police Department identified the alleged attacker as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said authorities began receiving multiple 911 calls at around 4:24 p.m. reporting a woman armed with two knives and stabbing people along Seventh Avenue.
According to police, Cisneros approached a 68-year-old man who had just exited a subway station and was waiting to cross the street with his wife near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue.
A witness told investigators that Cisneros pulled two knives from a red shopping bag before approaching the man.
She allegedly stabbed him in the abdomen in what authorities described as a random and unprovoked attack.
The man was rushed to Bellevue Hospital and was reported in stable condition.
About 20 seconds later, Cisneros allegedly approached a 32-year-old woman near West 42nd Street and stabbed her in the abdomen.
The woman was also brought to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Authorities did not immediately release her identity pending notification of her family.
Police said Cisneros then continued north along Seventh Avenue as witnesses alerted officers in the area.
Officers confronted her between West 42nd and West 43rd streets while she was still holding two knives.
Police spent around four minutes attempting to persuade Cisneros to drop the weapons, but she repeatedly refused.
Tisch said Cisneros threatened the officers before waving the knives and advancing toward them.
Multiple officers deployed Tasers, but these failed to incapacitate her, according to police.
Two officers then opened fire, striking Cisneros.
Police rendered first aid before she was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
The confrontation unfolded near an NYPD substation in Times Square, one of New York City’s busiest tourist destinations.
Authorities said Cisneros had a documented history of mental health-related encounters with the NYPD in 2018 and 2019 but had no arrest history with the department.
Police said there was no indication that the attack was related to terrorism.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised responding officers for preventing the incident from becoming even worse while expressing condolences over the death of the stabbing victim.
The police shooting will undergo an internal investigation, while body-worn camera footage of the confrontation is expected to be released to the public.
