UPenn Grad Killed in Random Times Square Stabbing Attack

A New Jersey woman has been identified as one of two victims in a Monday afternoon stabbing attack in Times Square, according to New York City police officials. Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester, New Jersey, died at a hospital following the incident, which authorities described as random and unprovoked.

Timeline of the Times Square Knife Attacks

The sequence of events unfolded rapidly on Monday afternoon near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, according to statements from NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. At approximately 4:26 p.m., a 39-year-old woman from Queens identified by police as Pamela Cisneros pulled two knives from a bag and approached a 68-year-old man. The man had just exited the subway and was waiting to cross the street with his wife when the suspect stabbed him in the abdomen.

The second attack occurred about 20 seconds later, according to Tisch. Cisneros walked up Seventh Avenue and approached Piacenti, who was also stabbed in the abdomen. Witnesses reported seeing the suspect brandish the weapons in a red shopping bag before the assaults began.

Confrontation and Police Response

Following the second attack, Cisneros fled north toward the NYPD substation in Times Square, where bystanders flagged down officers. Police confronted the suspect, giving her numerous commands to drop the knives during a four-minute standoff, according to Tisch.

During the encounter, Cisneros told the approaching officers, I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you, and repeated that she would kill them, Tisch said. Officers deployed stun guns twice, but the devices proved ineffective as the suspect advanced. Two officers then discharged their service weapons. Cisneros was struck, taken to a hospital, and pronounced dead.

Victim Background and Official Response

Piacenti graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and Fordham Law in 2021, and worked as the vice president of business selection and conflicts for Bank of America, according to social media records and company statements. 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, Bank of America said in a statement.

The first victim, the 68-year-old man, remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition. Police confirmed that Cisneros had no criminal record but possessed a documented mental health history with the department. The NYPD is conducting an internal investigation, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that body-worn camera footage will be released to the public. Two knives were recovered from the scene.