Deadly Times Square Stabbing Leaves One Woman Dead as NYPD Shoots Armed Suspect
New York, A violent stabbing in the heart of New York City’s Times Square left one woman dead and another man injured after an armed woman allegedly attacked two strangers before being shot by police.
The incident unfolded on Monday afternoon near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, close to an NYPD substation and One Times Square, one of Manhattan’s busiest tourist locations. Police began receiving emergency calls shortly after 4:20 p.m. reporting that a woman carrying knives was attacking people.
According to investigators, the suspect was 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens. Police said she allegedly took two knives from a shopping bag and attacked a 68-year-old man who had just left a subway station. The man suffered an abdominal injury and was transported to Bellevue Hospital. His condition was later described as stable.
Only moments later, police said the woman moved along Seventh Avenue and attacked a 32-year-old woman. The second victim also suffered an abdominal stab wound and was taken to hospital, where she later died.
Officers then confronted Cisneros near the NYPD substation. Police said they repeatedly ordered her to put down the knives and spent several minutes attempting to resolve the situation without using lethal force.
Authorities said the suspect refused to surrender and continued advancing while holding the weapons. Officers deployed Tasers, but they were unsuccessful in stopping her. Two officers subsequently fired their service weapons, striking Cisneros. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the stabbings as apparently random and unprovoked. Authorities have said there is currently no indication that the attack was connected to terrorism. Police also said Cisneros had a documented history of mental-health-related incidents with the NYPD, although she had no prior arrest history, according to officials.
The incident temporarily disrupted activity around Times Square as officers secured the area and investigators collected evidence. The NYPD is conducting an investigation into both the stabbing and the subsequent police shooting.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed condolences to the victims and their families and praised the officers who intervened during what authorities described as a rapidly developing and dangerous situation in a densely crowded part of Manhattan.
Police are expected to review body-worn camera footage as part of the investigation. The identities of the two stabbing victims have not been publicly released pending notification of their relatives.
The attack has renewed attention on public safety in Times Square, an area visited daily by large numbers of tourists, commuters and residents. Authorities continue to investigate what led to the stabbing and the circumstances surrounding the police shooting.
