Times Square horror: Knife-wielding woman kills one, shot dead by New York cops
The attack took place at around 4.30 pm local time as thousands of commuters, tourists and families were in the area.
- Sep 1, 2026,
- Updated Sep 1, 2026 7:31 AM IST
Panic and confusion gripped New York City’s Times Square on Monday afternoon when a knife-wielding woman stabbed two people in quick succession in one of the area’s busiest pedestrian stretches, killing one of them, before police shot her dead after a four-minute confrontation.
The attack took place at around 4.30 pm local time as thousands of commuters, tourists and families were in the area. According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros stabbed a 32-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man in what authorities described as a random and unprovoked attack. The woman later died in hospital, while the man was first reported to be in critical condition and was later described as stable.
Times Square stabbing: Attack unfolds within seconds
Police said the two stabbings took place within a gap of 20 seconds near one of the busiest pedestrian areas of the iconic location. The female victim was stabbed in the abdomen and later died at a hospital. The male victim, who was also stabbed in the abdomen, survived and is in stable condition, according to police.
Videos circulating on social media showed the woman wearing a pink shirt and jeans and holding knives while facing several police officers. A crowd could be seen nearby as officers confronted her. Several gunshots were heard before she fell to the ground.
NYPD confrontation: Woman refused to drop knives
Police said Cisneros, whom they described as appearing to be emotionally disturbed, tried to flee after stabbing the two victims but was confronted near an NYPD substation. Officials said she was carrying two knives and refused repeated orders to drop them.
Officers spent about four minutes trying to get Cisneros to surrender. According to the commissioner, Cisneros told officers, "I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you. I will kill you."
Officers then used Tasers in an attempt to stop her, but police said the effort was ineffective. Authorities said Cisneros removed the devices and continued advancing towards officers while waving the knives. Police then opened fire, striking her. She was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Another video shared online showed the woman surrounded by NYPD officers and moving towards them despite attempts to stop her with a Taser before officers opened fire.
Police say no clear motive in New York Times Square attack
The incident was initially reported as a knifepoint robbery, but police later said they did not believe the woman had a clear motive. Authorities have not classified the attack as terrorism-related, and the stabbings appeared to be random, according to reports.
The NYPD said Cisneros had a documented mental health history and appeared to be emotionally disturbed. Investigators are continuing to examine what prompted the attack.
Zohran Mamdani on Times Square attack
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the media and confirmed that a woman armed with multiple knives stabbed two people in Times Square before police deployed a Taser and opened fire. He thanked the NYPD officers who intervened, saying they had prevented the attack from becoming "even worse".
"I'm deeply saddened to report that one of the victims has passed away, as has the alleged perpetrator. The second victim is currently in the hospital in stable condition," he said.
The mayor also said an internal investigation into the incident would be carried out, as is standard after an officer-involved shooting. He added that body-worn camera footage from the responding officers would also be released to the public.
The incident left one woman dead, another victim injured and the alleged attacker dead after police intervention in the middle of Times Square, with investigators still trying to determine why the stabbings happened.
Panic and confusion gripped New York City’s Times Square on Monday afternoon when a knife-wielding woman stabbed two people in quick succession in one of the area’s busiest pedestrian stretches, killing one of them, before police shot her dead after a four-minute confrontation.
The attack took place at around 4.30 pm local time as thousands of commuters, tourists and families were in the area. According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros stabbed a 32-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man in what authorities described as a random and unprovoked attack. The woman later died in hospital, while the man was first reported to be in critical condition and was later described as stable.
Times Square stabbing: Attack unfolds within seconds
Police said the two stabbings took place within a gap of 20 seconds near one of the busiest pedestrian areas of the iconic location. The female victim was stabbed in the abdomen and later died at a hospital. The male victim, who was also stabbed in the abdomen, survived and is in stable condition, according to police.
Videos circulating on social media showed the woman wearing a pink shirt and jeans and holding knives while facing several police officers. A crowd could be seen nearby as officers confronted her. Several gunshots were heard before she fell to the ground.
NYPD confrontation: Woman refused to drop knives
Police said Cisneros, whom they described as appearing to be emotionally disturbed, tried to flee after stabbing the two victims but was confronted near an NYPD substation. Officials said she was carrying two knives and refused repeated orders to drop them.
Officers spent about four minutes trying to get Cisneros to surrender. According to the commissioner, Cisneros told officers, "I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you. I will kill you."
Officers then used Tasers in an attempt to stop her, but police said the effort was ineffective. Authorities said Cisneros removed the devices and continued advancing towards officers while waving the knives. Police then opened fire, striking her. She was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Another video shared online showed the woman surrounded by NYPD officers and moving towards them despite attempts to stop her with a Taser before officers opened fire.
Police say no clear motive in New York Times Square attack
The incident was initially reported as a knifepoint robbery, but police later said they did not believe the woman had a clear motive. Authorities have not classified the attack as terrorism-related, and the stabbings appeared to be random, according to reports.
The NYPD said Cisneros had a documented mental health history and appeared to be emotionally disturbed. Investigators are continuing to examine what prompted the attack.
Zohran Mamdani on Times Square attack
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the media and confirmed that a woman armed with multiple knives stabbed two people in Times Square before police deployed a Taser and opened fire. He thanked the NYPD officers who intervened, saying they had prevented the attack from becoming "even worse".
"I'm deeply saddened to report that one of the victims has passed away, as has the alleged perpetrator. The second victim is currently in the hospital in stable condition," he said.
The mayor also said an internal investigation into the incident would be carried out, as is standard after an officer-involved shooting. He added that body-worn camera footage from the responding officers would also be released to the public.
The incident left one woman dead, another victim injured and the alleged attacker dead after police intervention in the middle of Times Square, with investigators still trying to determine why the stabbings happened.