Bank of America VP Erin Piacenti, 32, fatally stabbed in Times Square attack

Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old Bank of America vice president, was killed in a stabbing attack in Times Square on Monday. The suspect, Pamela Cisneros, was shot dead by NYPD officers after a standoff.

Times Square stabbing kills Bank of America executive, suspect shot dead by police

Google News MT reports that Erin Piacenti, 32, a Bank of America vice president from Chester, New Jersey, was fatally stabbed in Times Square on Monday, 31 August 2026. A second victim, a 68-year-old man, was also stabbed and is now in stable condition.

NYPD officers responded to a 911 call shortly before 4:30 p.m. and found 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, of Queens, New York, wielding two knives in the busy midtown Manhattan location. Cisneros was subsequently shot by officers and later pronounced dead at hospital.

Bank of America confirmed Piacenti's death in an email obtained by Reuters. "We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague," the bank wrote. "She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones."

A four-minute standoff

A witness told investigators that Cisneros pulled two butcher knives from a red Target bag, waving the blades at the 68-year-old man before stabbing him in the abdomen. According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the two stabbings occurred within 20 seconds of each other.

Tisch described the attack as "random and unprovoked" during a press conference held Monday alongside Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Officers entered a tense standoff with Cisneros lasting approximately four minutes. During that time, they repeatedly ordered her to drop the weapons. Cisneros refused, saying "I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you," Tisch recounted. Cisneros then advanced towards the officers with the blades raised. Officers deployed tasers, which failed to stop her advance, at which point two officers discharged their firearms, striking Cisneros.

"Our officers were confronted with a rapidly evolving threat, with countless innocent people around them," Tisch said. "In that moment, they did what we train them to do."

No criminal record, but history of mental health episodes

Tisch confirmed that Cisneros had no prior criminal record, but had been involved in multiple police interactions related to mental health episodes. The New York Daily News separately reported that family members said Cisneros had struggled with mental illness for decades.

"One life cut far too short by a senseless act of violence," Tisch said. "There are family members and loved ones who are now confronting the unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with them."

Two knives were recovered at the scene near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, and displayed at the press conference.

Source: Google News MT