Bank of America VP Erin Piacenti fatally stabbed in Times Square attack
Erin Piacenti, 32, a 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 four-minute standoff.
Bank of America executive killed in Times Square knife attack; suspect shot dead by police
Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old vice president at Bank of America, was fatally stabbed in Times Square on Monday afternoon in what NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described as a "random and unprovoked attack," Google News MT reports.
The NYPD identified Piacenti, a resident of Chester, New Jersey, as the deceased victim. A second person — a 68-year-old man — was also stabbed and is currently in stable condition.
Bank of America confirmed her death in an internal 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."
Two knives, 20 seconds
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 middle of Times Square.
According to a witness who spoke to investigators, Cisneros pulled two butcher knives from a red Target bag and waved them at the 68-year-old man before stabbing him in the abdomen. She then turned on Piacenti. Commissioner Tisch stated that both stabbings took place within 20 seconds of each other.
Four-minute standoff before officers open fire
What followed was a four-minute standoff between Cisneros and NYPD officers. Officers repeatedly ordered her to drop the weapons. She refused. "I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you," Tisch quoted Cisneros as saying during a Monday press conference attended also by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Cisneros then advanced toward the officers with her blades raised. Officers deployed tasers, which failed to stop her. Two officers subsequently discharged their firearms. Cisneros was struck and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
"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 incidents
Tisch noted that Cisneros had no prior criminal record, though she had been involved in multiple previous police interactions related to mental health episodes.
"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."
Piacenti, described by colleagues as a valued member of the team, was a University of Pennsylvania graduate. The attack drew widespread attention given its location in one of New York City's most heavily trafficked public spaces.
Source: Google News MT