'I would rather kill both of you': 2 dead in Times Square stabbing, including alleged perpetrator
Times Square stabbing, shooting latest: Victim and suspect identified
Investigators believe the stabbing spree in Times Square was a "random and unprovoked attack," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on Monday. FOX 5 NY's Jessica Formoso has the latest details on Newsroom Live with Dan Bowens.
TIMES SQUARE - One of the two victims of a stabbing attack in Times Square has died, according to Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
FULL: Woman stabs 2 in Times Square before being fatally shot by police
A woman armed with two knives stabbed two people in Times Square, killing one victim and injuring another, before being fatally shot by NYPD officers. The incident, which police describe as a random and unprovoked attack, remains under investigation.
2 dead after Times Square police-involved shooting
What we know:
Mayor Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch held a press conference earlier tonight, August 31, to share details about the incident.
Police say that calls regarding a woman, now identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, of Queens, wielding two knives in Times Square were made at 4:24 p.m.
"We believe that this… was a random and unprovoked attack," Commissioner Tisch said of both stabbings during the presser.
Times Square police-involved shooting after 2 stabbed: Law enforcement sources say
Law enforcement sources say a woman stabbed two people in Times Square before being stopped by the NYPD, law enforcement sources say. FOX 5 NY's Lisa Evers has the latest details.
Cisneros first approached a 68-year-old man waiting to cross the street with his wife after the couple exited the subway, according to police. Without warning, she stabbed him in the abdomen, officials said.
Less than 30 seconds later, police said Cisneros continued up 7th Avenue toward 42nd Street and stabbed a 32-year-old woman in the abdomen. The woman, later identified as Erin Piacente, of New Jersey, later died at the hospital.
Cellphone video shows officers confronting Cisneros after she continued walking on 7th Ave. Tisch said the officers spent about four minutes trying to persuade her to drop the knives before using stun guns and ultimately firearms as she advanced toward them.
Cisneros, who had a documented mental health history with incidents in 2018 and 2019, was fatally shot. She had no arrest history with the NYPD.
"She told the officers, ‘I’m not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you,'" Tisch said. "She repeated, ‘I will kill you.’"
Mamdani said the male stabbing victim was hospitalized in stable condition.
What we don't know:
The name of the male stabbing victim has not been shared by officials.
What's next:
Tisch said there would be an increased police presence in Times Square following the stabbing spree.
The police shooting was captured on officers' body-worn cameras and will be made public at a later date.
The Source: This article includes a social media post made by the NYPD on X and information provided by the police.