A woman armed with two knives stabbed two people in Times Square, killing one, before police shot her dead, according to the New York City Police Department.
Story Snapshot
- Police say a knife attack on Seventh Avenue left one woman dead and a man injured.
- Officers shot and killed the suspect after the stabbings near West 43rd Street.
- Officials identified the suspect as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens.
- Police described the attack as unprovoked and cited past mental health contacts.
What Police Say Happened in Times Square
New York City police said a woman armed with two knives began stabbing people along Seventh Avenue near West 43rd Street just after 4:20 p.m. on August 31. Officers responded within minutes. Police said the suspect, identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, stabbed a woman and a man before officers confronted her. The woman who was stabbed later died at a hospital, police said. The man remained hospitalized. Officers then fatally shot Cisneros at the scene during the response.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the episode an unprovoked double stabbing. She said officers encountered Cisneros with the knives and engaged her during the chaotic scene at one of the city’s busiest crossroads. The police update placed the attack path along Seventh Avenue through the Times Square area near 42nd and 43rd Streets. The police account aligns with multiple live reports that timed the event around late afternoon rush and tourist foot traffic.
Who Was the Suspect and What Officials Reported
Officials identified the suspect as Pamela Cisneros, age 49, who lived in Queens, and said she had prior mental health contacts with police in 2018 and 2019. Police said those contacts did not lead to arrests. The department did not provide further detail on those earlier incidents or on any treatment history. The city’s description focused on the current case facts: two people stabbed, one dead, one hospitalized, a suspect armed with two knives, and a police use of deadly force to stop the threat.
Commissioner Tisch’s briefing stressed the absence of any stated dispute between the suspect and the victims before the attack. That framing matters in Times Square, where random violence draws fast national attention. Police tend to move early to narrow the lens to criminal behavior or crisis behavior unless they find a link to a wider plot. That pattern has repeated in other public attacks where early checks did not show a terror tie and the story settled as a criminal act.
Victims, Timing, and the Fast Police Response
Police said the female victim died at the hospital after being stabbed on the street. The male victim remained under care with injuries that police did not detail. The call came in just after 4:20 p.m., and officers reached West 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue quickly, according to the department’s timeline. That timing sits in the peak window for crowds leaving matinees, shopping, and commuting, which raises the stakes of any weapon on the street and drives urgent commands to drop it.
The NYPD released a photo showing knives recovered from the scene of a stabbing in Times Square, where a woman carrying multiple knives stabbed two people on Monday, authorities said. pic.twitter.com/bq7NMATyPU
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 1, 2026
Witness phones often capture only slivers of scenes like this. Police training and policy look at distance, weapon, and imminent harm. A person holding knives within short range of bystanders or officers can force split-second choices. Studies of police shootings show a significant share involve signs of mental or behavioral health issues or substance use, which complicates but does not remove the core duty to stop an active threat to life. One caveat applies: arrests and charges are not possible when a suspect is deceased.
Public Safety, Mental Health, and Clear Lines
New Yorkers expect safe sidewalks and fast action when a person attacks strangers. That is not a partisan view. It is common sense. When officers face a person who just stabbed two people and will not surrender the knives, stopping the threat comes first. The city can and should improve crisis services. The city also must back officers who stop lethal violence in real time. Both ideas can be true at once, and they must be balanced on crowded streets.
Why This Case Resonates Beyond One Block
Times Square is the stage where local events become national snapshots. A midday or late afternoon attack there hits tourism, work life, and the city’s brand at once. The clarity of the police account here helps calm the churn. Two people were stabbed. One victim died. One remains in the hospital. Officers shot and killed the attacker after commands and confrontation on a crowded avenue. That is the through-line the city needs to hear and the one officials set out on day one.
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