On the evening of Wednesday, a 32‑year‑old woman was fatally stabbed in the heart of Times Square, New York City. A second victim was rushed to hospital, but later died after sustaining severe injuries.
The suspect – a woman who carried two knives – was shot by NYPD officers before the wounded victims could be transported to care. In a press conference, Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that the female victim and the accused had both been pronounced dead, while the second victim remains in a stable condition.
"We thanked the NYPD officers for preventing a horrific attack from becoming even worse," Mamdani said. Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the assault as an “unprovoked double stabbing” that occurred within roughly twenty seconds of each other.
Early 911 calls – roughly 16:24 local time – reported a woman armed with two knives wandering Seventh Avenue. Police estimates place the beginning of the attack near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue. The suspect was observed approaching a man who had just left a subway and seemed to target the man’s wife and husband.
Witnesses noted that the suspect removed two knives from a red Target bag and waved them before stabbing a 68‑year‑old man in the abdomen. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital and is now stable but has not yet fully recovered.
During an exchange that lasted about four minutes, the suspect refused to surrender her weapons, stating, "I’ll kill both of you," and even threatened officers. After Tasers proved ineffective, NYPD officers eventually shot the suspect, who was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital later that night.
Authorities identified the suspect as 49‑year‑old Pamela Cisneros from Queens, New York City. She had never been arrested, yet had a documented mental health history with NYPD incidents in 2018 and 2019.
A Boston tourist, Melinda Puzon, recounted hearing the shots and seeing "so many people on the street" at the scene, adding the event was "very shocking."
