The New York Police Department identified the woman fatally stabbed in Times Square on Monday as Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester, New Jersey.
Stabbing victim was a Bank of America vice president
Piacenti died Monday at Bellevue Hospital after she was stabbed in the abdomen in Times Square, according to the NYPD.
Piacenti was a vice president of business selection and conflicts at Bank of America.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague,” Bank of America said in a written statement to the media. “She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones.”
What happened in Times Square?
Piacenti was one of two people stabbed on Seventh Avenue at about 4:25 p.m. Monday in what NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described as an “unprovoked double stabbing.”
The two attacks occurred within about 20 seconds of each other, police said.
The second victim, a 68-year-old man, was also taken to a hospital for treatment. He was listed in stable condition Monday, according to police. His name has not been released.
The woman accused of stabbing the two victims was identified by police as Pamela Cisneros, 49, of Queens.
Tisch said Cisneros had a documented mental health history with the NYPD, including incidents in 2018 and 2019. She had not been arrested in connection with those incidents, Tisch said.
Officers encountered Cisneros on Seventh Avenue and spoke with her for about four minutes. During the encounter, officers repeatedly ordered her to drop the two knives she was carrying. She refused, according to Tisch.
Cisneros told officers, “I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.” She also repeatedly said, “I will kill you,” Tisch said.
Officers deployed Tasers as Cisneros approached them while carrying the knives, but the Tasers were ineffective, according to Tisch. Two officers then fired their service weapons, striking Cisneros.
Cisneros was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she died from her injuries.
The two knives were recovered at the scene, police said.
Mayor Mamdani offers condolences
Tisch and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed condolences to the victims and their families.
“We know that those families’ lives have been shattered by what took place today, and we will continue to hold them close as the hours and days and weeks continue from this moment,” Mamdani said during an evening news conference.
The NYPD's investigation remains ongoing.
Contributing: USA TODAY Network and Reuters
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Woman killed in Times Square stabbing identified
