A knife attack in Times Square left one woman dead and a man wounded before police shot and killed the attacker, officials said.
Story Snapshot
- Police said a woman stabbed two people in Times Square before officers fatally shot her.
- Officials identified the suspect as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens.
- A female victim died at the hospital; a male victim remains hospitalized.
- NYPD said the attack was unprovoked and noted prior mental health incidents, with no arrests.
Police Describe Unprovoked Double Stabbing Near Seventh Avenue
New York City Police Department leaders said officers rushed to West 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue just after 4:20 p.m. on August 31. They said a woman with two knives stabbed people along Seventh Avenue in Times Square. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch called it an unprovoked double stabbing during an evening news conference. Officers confronted the suspect during the response. Police said they shot and killed her after the attack. The department opened a standard investigation into the incident.
Officials identified the suspect as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens. They said she was armed with two knives recovered at the scene. The commissioner said the suspect had a documented mental health history with the New York City Police Department. Those contacts dated to 2018 and 2019 and did not lead to arrests. Police did not announce a motive. The focus remained on the sequence of the stabbings and the officer response in the crowded tourist area.
Victim Outcomes And Hospital Updates From The Scene
Authorities said the attack left two victims with stab wounds. A female victim later died at the hospital. A male victim remained hospitalized as of the police briefing. Officials did not release the victims’ names or ages at that time. Emergency crews moved fast due to the heavy foot traffic in Times Square. The area near 42nd and 43rd Streets is a major transit and tourist hub, which added urgency to the response and street closures that followed.
Police said the knives posed an immediate threat to bystanders and officers. They said the use of force came during the response to stop further harm. The New York City Police Department typically reviews every police shooting, which can include body camera footage and witness interviews. Officials did not release that material during the briefing. The commissioner’s summary supplied the key facts on timing, location, suspect identity, and victim status pending more detailed records.
Mental Health Contacts And Public Safety Tensions
Commissioner Tisch said the suspect had prior mental health contacts with the department, with incidents logged in 2018 and 2019. She said those did not result in arrests. That history matches a wider pattern in crisis calls that sometimes turn violent. Researchers who study police shootings have found that a notable share involve mental or behavioral health symptoms or substance use, which complicates street-level responses where seconds matter.
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
Cities wrestle with how to handle dangerous crises in crowded spaces. Times Square packs sidewalks with families, tourists, and workers at all hours. Fast action can save lives when a suspect wields knives in close quarters. Clear rules, strong training, and quick medical aid all matter. The basic facts here are not in dispute based on the commissioner’s briefing and aligned reports. Further releases, like body camera video, typically follow agency policy and legal review timelines.
