NEW YORK, N.Y. – A woman armed with two knives stabbed two strangers in the middle of Times Square Monday afternoon, killing one of them, before NYPD officers shot her during a confrontation on Seventh Avenue, police said.
The NYPD identified the woman as Pamela Cisneros, 49, of Queens. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the attacks appeared to be “random and unprovoked,” with Cisneros allegedly stabbing a 68-year-old man and then a 32-year-old woman within about 20 seconds.
A video of the incident was captured and widely shared on X, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Both victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital. The 32-year-old woman died from her injuries, while the 68-year-old man was reported in stable condition Monday night.
Two Strangers Stabbed Seconds Apart in Times Square
The violence began around 4:24 p.m. near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue. Tisch said the 68-year-old man had just exited the subway and was standing with his wife waiting to cross the street.
A witness told investigators Cisneros removed two knives from a red Target bag, waved them and approached the man. She allegedly stabbed him in the right side of his abdomen before continuing north on Seventh Avenue.
About 20 seconds later, Cisneros allegedly approached the 32-year-old woman near West 42nd Street and stabbed her in the abdomen.
- The NYPD said the two victims appeared to have been selected at random.
- Cisneros had two knives when officers confronted her after the stabbings.
- Police said officers tried Tasers before two officers fired their service weapons.
Did Pamela Cisneros know the two people who were stabbed?
Police have not reported any connection between Cisneros and either victim. Tisch described both attacks as apparently random and unprovoked.
Witnesses alerted nearby officers, who encountered Cisneros between West 42nd and West 43rd streets. She was still holding both knives, police said.
Officers Spent Four Minutes Telling Cisneros to Drop Knives
The confrontation did not immediately end in gunfire. Tisch said officers spent about four minutes speaking with Cisneros and repeatedly ordering her to put down the weapons.
She refused.
“I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you,” Cisneros told the officers, according to Tisch. Police said she also told them, “I will kill you.”
As Cisneros waved the knives and advanced toward the officers, multiple officers deployed Tasers, according to the NYPD. The Tasers did not stop her.
Two officers then fired their service weapons, striking Cisneros. She was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
“This was an extraordinarily dangerous situation unfolding in the heart of Times Square, the crossroads of the world,” Tisch said.
Why did NYPD officers shoot Cisneros?
According to the NYPD’s preliminary account, Cisneros continued advancing while armed with two knives after repeated commands to disarm and unsuccessful attempts to stop her with Tasers. Two officers then opened fire.
NYPD Says Cisneros Had Documented Mental Health History
Cisneros had no NYPD arrest history, Tisch said, but she did have a documented mental health history involving two previous interactions with the department in 2018 and 2019. Police did not disclose additional details about those incidents.
Authorities said they had no indication Monday night that the stabbing was terrorism-related. No motive for the attacks had been established.
Tisch defended the officers’ response, saying they were faced with an armed woman in one of the busiest pedestrian areas in the country.
“Our officers were confronted with a rapidly evolving threat with countless innocent people around them,” Tisch said. “In that moment, they did what we trained them to do.”
Will the Times Square police shooting video be released?
Yes. The confrontation was captured on NYPD body-worn cameras, and city officials said the footage will be released. An internal investigation into the officers’ use of deadly force is also underway.
Police recovered both knives at the scene. The names of the two stabbing victims had not been publicly released as of Monday night pending family notifications.
