Bank of America VP Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester, N.J., killed in Monday Times Square stabbing
NEW YORK — The Erin Piacenti Times Square stabbing unfolded about 4:24 to 4:30 p.m. near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, police said. Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old Bank of America vice president from Chester, New Jersey, was fatally stabbed near Times Square on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. Police said the attack unfolded about 4:24 to 4:30 p.m. near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue.
A 68-year-old man from Rhode Island was also stabbed and survived. Officers later fired at the attacker, Pamela Cisneros, 49, of Queens. She died after the shooting.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the Times Square stabbing as random and unprovoked. Bank of America confirmed that Piacenti was a colleague.
What police said about the Erin Piacenti Times Square stabbing
Tisch said the incident started near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue. A witness told investigators that Cisneros pulled knives from a red Target bag.
Police said she stabbed the 68-year-old man, then stabbed Piacenti about 20 seconds later. Tisch called both attacks random and unprovoked.
Piacenti was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she died. The male victim was also treated. ABC7 New York reported that he was released late Tuesday.
US Local Now is relying on named officials and published accounts, in line with our editorial policy.
Timeline police have given
- About 4:24 to 4:30 p.m. Monday near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue
- Knives taken from a red Target bag, according to a witness cited by police
- Two people stabbed about 20 seconds apart
- Officers spent about four minutes giving commands
- Tasers were used and were ineffective, Tisch said
- Two officers fired; Cisneros later died
- Piacenti died at Bellevue Hospital
Who Erin Piacenti was
Piacenti was 32 and lived in Chester, N.J. Bank of America confirmed she worked at the bank as a vice president.
Spokesperson John Yiannacopoulos said, “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.”
She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and from Fordham Law in 2021, according to accounts that cited her public profile and school records.
The New York Post reported that she had recently been on maternity leave. The Post also reported that she lived in Chester and that she and her husband marked their second wedding anniversary on Aug. 10, 2024, at Long Beach Island, N.J.
This newsroom is not publishing comments from Piacenti’s relatives.
The Rhode Island man who was also stabbed
Police said a 68-year-old man was stabbed in the same Times Square attack and survived.
The New York Times identified him as Tak Kam, 68, of Kingston, R.I., The Providence Journal reported. The Journal also described him as being from South Kingstown. The New York Post named him as well.
He was visiting his son, The Times reported, as relayed by the Journal and the Post.
ABC7 New York reported that the male victim was released late Tuesday. That update came after police had said he was hospitalized.
The police encounter after the stabbings
Tisch said officers reached Cisneros after the two stabbings. They spent about four minutes giving her commands to drop the knives.
Tisch said Cisneros told officers she would rather kill both of you. Police said Tasers were used and did not stop her. Two officers then fired.
Cisneros, 49, of Queens, died after officers fired. Official briefings reported by ABC7 New York, CNN, and other outlets said knives were recovered.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said there will be an internal investigation. He said body-worn camera video will be released. This article reports those statements. It does not call the shooting justified or unjustified.
What is known about Pamela Cisneros
Police said Cisneros had a documented mental health history with the NYPD involving incidents in 2018 and 2019. Officials have not given a public medical diagnosis in the briefings cited here.
Tisch said she had no NYPD arrest history. Officials said they had no evidence that the Erin Piacenti Times Square stabbing was an act of terrorism.
Her brother, Patrick Peralta, told Gothamist he last saw her in early August. He said she had long mental-health struggles. He said he had never known her to become violent because of those struggles.
Peralta said his family is saddened for the victims. He told Gothamist they do not know how to explain why this happened.
What city officials say comes next
Mamdani said the NYPD will conduct an internal investigation. He said body-worn camera footage will be released to the public.
Tisch’s briefing remains the main official timeline of the Erin Piacenti Times Square stabbing. Later records, including body-camera video, may add detail.
US Local Now’s About page explains how this news desk works. If a name, age, or time in this report is later shown to be wrong, we will update the story and log the change on our Corrections page.
Sources
- Gothamist, “Woman NYPD killed after Times Square stabbings had long mental health struggle, brother says”
- The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Police identify the victim of the Times Square fatal stabbing as a 32-year-old Penn grad”
- ABC7 New York, “Victims, suspect identified in deadly Times Square stabbings, shooting”
- CNN, “Knife-wielding woman kills 1, wounds another in Times Square before being shot dead by police”
- New York Post, “Victim stabbed to death in Times Square rampage was VP at Bank of America, just celebrated 2nd wedding anniversary”
- The Providence Journal, “Woman stabs, injures RI man, then fatally stabs woman in Times Square”