A woman armed with two knives stabbed two people in the middle of crowded Times Square in New York on Monday afternoon, 31st August, killing one and injuring another, before police shot and killed her after a four-minute standoff, authorities said.
The incident took place just before 4:30 p.m. in one of the busiest parts of Manhattan, with thousands of commuters, tourists and families in the area. Police identified the woman as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, who had a documented mental health history with the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
KNIFE-WIELDING WOMAN KILLS 1, WOUNDS ANOTHER IN TIMES SQUARE BEFORE BEING SHOT DEAD BY POLICE.
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) September 1, 2026
•A woman carrying two knives stabbed two people “in the heart” of busy Times Square in about 20 seconds on Monday afternoon, killing one, before police shot and killed her after a… pic.twitter.com/nTDN0msPUb
Two people stabbed within seconds
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Cisneros approached a 68-year-old man who had just left a subway station with his wife near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue. She pulled two knives from a red Target bag and stabbed him in the side of his abdomen before walking towards 42nd Street.
The second attack happened less than 20 seconds later. A 32-year-old woman was stabbed in the abdomen and later died at a hospital. The 68-year-old man was taken to Bellevue Hospital and remained in stable condition. The identities of both victims had not been released.
Aliou Dieye, a 62-year-old vendor who witnessed the second attack, said Cisneros approached the woman without saying anything. “She didn’t say nothing,” Dieye said. “She walked up to her. She stabbed her in the stomach.”
Tisch described the incident as a “random and unprovoked attack” and called it a “senseless attack”.
Four-minute standoff with police
After the stabbings, Cisneros continued north and was confronted by police near West 43rd Street, close to an NYPD substation. Officers surrounded her and repeatedly ordered her to put down the knives.
Tisch said officers spent about four minutes trying to convince her to surrender. However, Cisneros refused to drop the weapons. “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you. I will kill you,” she told the officers, according to Tisch.
A knife-wielding woman was shot and wounded by NYPD officers in Times Square Monday after allegedly stabbing a man and woman near W. 42nd St. and Seventh Ave. Police said officers encountered her behind the NYPD substation, where she pointed a knife at them before officers opened… pic.twitter.com/CPHUQtVrl4
— TheSalGreco (@TheSalGreco) August 31, 2026
Police first tried to stop her using Tasers. Two officers fired their Tasers, but the attempts were unsuccessful.
Videos from the scene show Cisneros holding a knife in each hand while officers kept their distance and surrounded her. Pedestrians and vehicles could still be seen moving through the area during the tense standoff.
Police shoot woman after she charges at officers
The situation escalated when Cisneros moved towards the officers while still holding the knives. After the Tasers failed, officers opened fire.
Several shots were heard in videos of the incident, after which Cisneros fell to the ground. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Police Commissioner Tisch defended the officers’ actions, saying they responded according to their training when Cisneros moved towards them while armed. “Our officers did exactly what they’re trained to do, and that is to protect themselves when a perpetrator, in this case, a woman, is coming at them armed with and waving two knives,” Tisch said.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said an internal investigation would be conducted into the police shooting. He also said body-camera footage from the officers would eventually be released publicly.
