NEW YORK — A vice president at Bank of America was killed and a senior citizen critically injured on Monday afternoon after an unprovoked stabbing attack near Times Square in Midtown Manhattan. The suspect, identified by authorities as 44-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, was fatally shot by responding officers from the New York City Police Department after refusing commands to surrender her weapon.
The fatal incident unfolded at approximately 4:36 p.m. along a crowded street corridor when Cisneros, carrying knives in a shopping bag, launched an assault on pedestrians. The deceased victim was identified as 32-year-old Erin Piacenti, a vice president in Bank of America’s Business Selection and Conflict unit, who succumbed to fatal stab wounds. A 68-year-old man was also wounded in the confrontation and received emergency treatment for serious injuries. Bank of America released a statement expressing deep condolences to Piacenti’s family, friends, and colleagues.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that preliminary findings show the violence was sudden and entirely unprovoked. Responding officers initially deployed a taser to neutralize Cisneros, but as she refused to drop the bladed weapon and continued to threaten public safety, officers discharged their duty firearms, fatally striking her at the scene. Authorities noted that Cisneros had a documented history of mental health challenges and had previously come to the attention of law enforcement for erratic incidents in 2018 and 2019, though none had resulted in prior arrests.
