Authorities have identified the woman stabbed and killed in Times Square Monday in what the NYPD is calling an unprovoked and random attack.
Erin Piacenti, 32, of New Jersey was stabbed in the abdomen near 7th Avenue and West 42nd Street. She later died in the hospital, according to authorities.
According to a LinkedIn profile, Piacenti worked as a vice president at Bank of America.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones,” the company said in a statement.
She graduated from Fordham University School of Law in 2021 alongside her husband, Frank.
Police said the stabbing spree started on 41st Street, when 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros stabbed a 68-year-old man in the abdomen soon after he exited the subway.
The suspect then continued up 7th Avenue, where she stabbed and killed Piacenti about 20 seconds later, according to authorities.
The man was taken to a hospital, where police said he remained in stable condition.
“A witness at the scene told investigators that he observed the suspect take out two knives from a red Target bag before approaching the first victim,” said NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Members of the NYPD confronted the suspect, Cisneros, about four minutes later. Videos show officers attempting to get her to drop the two kitchen knives she was wielding.
“During the encounter, she told the officers, ‘I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you,'” Tisch said.
Police said they deployed a taser, and when she began advancing towards them, they shot her. Cisneros later died at the hospital.
The stabbings and subsequent shooting happened near the heart of Times Square at a busy time of day, witnessed by tourists and commuters.
“They did tell her multiple times to drop the weapon,” said Jaydan Barreto, a street performer who comes to Times Square daily. “She kept ignoring what they were saying, and she just kept going.”
Tisch said Cisneros has a documented mental health history with the NYPD, including incidents in both 2018 and 2019, though no known arrest history with the department.
The incident was captured on body camera footage. It is still under investigation.