Police said a second victim was stable after two apparently random attacks unfolded within seconds in the crowded Manhattan district.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — A woman was killed and a man was wounded Monday after a knife-wielding woman stabbed two people in Times Square before New York City police officers fatally shot the suspected attacker, authorities said.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the suspected attacker as Pamela Cisneros, 49, of Queens. Investigators believe the two stabbings were random and unprovoked, and authorities said there was no indication that the attack was connected to terrorism. The victims’ names had not been released as officials worked to notify their families.
Police received multiple calls at about 4:24 p.m. reporting a woman with knives near Seventh Avenue and West 41st Street, Tisch said. A witness told investigators that Cisneros removed two knives from a shopping bag as a 68-year-old man and his wife stood near the intersection after leaving the subway.
According to police, Cisneros waved the knives and stabbed the man in the abdomen. She then moved north on Seventh Avenue and encountered a 32-year-old woman near West 42nd Street, whom she also stabbed. Police said the attacks occurred about 20 seconds apart.
Both victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital. The 32-year-old woman died from her injuries, while the 68-year-old man was listed in stable condition Monday night, according to police. Authorities did not immediately release additional information about either victim.
Officers encountered Cisneros near the NYPD substation in Times Square while she was still carrying two knives, authorities said. Tisch said officers spent about four minutes repeatedly ordering her to put down the weapons. Police then used stun guns in an effort to stop her, but the devices did not incapacitate her.
Police said Cisneros continued moving toward officers while armed, and two officers fired their service weapons. Cisneros was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Two knives were recovered from the scene.
Tisch said Cisneros had no prior arrests but had a documented history of interactions with police involving mental health concerns. She said those contacts occurred in 2018 and 2019. Authorities had not determined why Cisneros was in Times Square on Monday, and no motive for the stabbings had been established.
The confrontation occurred in one of New York City’s busiest areas, near the NYPD substation and One Times Square. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said officers faced a rapidly developing threat in an area filled with commuters, tourists and other pedestrians. He also expressed condolences to the family of the woman who died and wished the surviving victim a full recovery.
The police shooting will undergo an internal investigation, and officials said officers’ body-worn cameras captured the confrontation. Mamdani said the footage will be released publicly as the review proceeds. Police were continuing to investigate the stabbings Monday night, including Cisneros’ movements before the attacks and whether anything preceded them.
Author note: Last updated August 31, 2026.