Bank of America Vice President Killed in Times Square Stabbing; Suspect Shot by Police
Bank of America vice president Erin Piacenti was fatally stabbed in Times Square, and the attacker, identified as Pamela Cisneros, was shot dead by NYPD officers after a brief standoff.
Bank of America vice president Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester, New Jersey, died after being stabbed in New York City’s Times Square on Monday. Police said a 68-year-old man who was also attacked survived with injuries and is in stable condition.
New York City police responded to a 911 call shortly before 4:30 p.m., locating a 49-year-old woman, identified as Pamela Cisneros of Queens, carrying two knives. Witnesses reported she retrieved the knives from a red Target bag and stabbed the older man in the abdomen before turning the weapons on Piacenti.
Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the incident as a “random and unprovoked attack” and said the two stabbings occurred within about 20 seconds. Officers warned Cisneros to drop the knives; she allegedly replied, “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you,” and advanced toward them. After taser attempts failed, two officers fired, killing Cisneros at a hospital.
Bank of America confirmed Piacenti’s death in an internal email to staff. The department noted that Cisneros had no prior criminal record but had multiple prior police contacts related to mental-health issues.