Bank of America employee killed in Times Square stabbing; suspect shot by police
A 32-year-old Bank of America employee was fatally stabbed in Times Square on Monday, and police shot the attacker after she threatened officers with knives.
Police identified the victim of a Monday afternoon stabbing in Times Square as Erin Piacenti, 32, a Bank of America employee from New Jersey. The attack occurred when 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros drew two knives and assaulted Piacenti and a 68-year-old man who was with his wife visiting their son in Brooklyn.
NYPD officers engaged Cisneros for about four minutes, ordering her to drop the weapons. According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Cisneros refused and told officers, "I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you," and repeated, "I will kill you." Multiple tasers were deployed but were ineffective, leading two officers to fire their weapons, killing Cisneros.
The male victim remains hospitalized in stable condition. A Bank of America spokesperson expressed condolences, stating the employee was a valued teammate.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani noted that body-camera footage of the shooting will be released later. Police records show Cisneros had prior mental-health encounters with the department in 2018 and 2019, though she had not been arrested.