A quiet afternoon in New York’s Times Square turned into a deadly attack on Monday, August 31, when a woman armed with two knives attacked two people while shouting, “I’m going to kill you!”
At around 4:30 p.m., the 49-year-old woman, identified by police as Pamela Cisneros of Queens, caused panic among residents and tourists in one of Manhattan’s busiest areas. She reportedly pulled a knife from a shopping bag and stabbed two people in the abdomen within about 20 seconds: a 68-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman.
The man had just exited the subway and was waiting to cross the street with his wife. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital and remained in stable condition, according to the New York Police Department. The second victim, a 32-year-old woman, suffered more serious abdominal injuries and later died at the same hospital.
After the stabbing, Cisneros continued along the street until several police officers surrounded her and ordered her to drop the weapons. Police said she refused and threatened to attack them.
Officers first used stun guns, but they were ineffective. Police then opened fire as Cisneros moved closer to them, saying they feared for their lives. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died.
Times Square attacker had mental health history
At a press conference in Times Square alongside the police commissioner, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said: “I want to thank the officers who intervened and prevented a horrific attack from being even worse.” Tisch added: “Our officers did exactly what they are trained to do.”
Police ruled out terrorism as a motive and said in a press release that Cisneros had “a history of mental health incidents.”
The attack occurred during New York’s rush hour in one of the city’s busiest tourist districts. Videos showing police shooting the attacker spread widely across social media.
