NEW YORK (AP) — Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old employee of Bank of America, was killed in a random stabbing incident in Times Square, as confirmed by the bank on Tuesday. Police have identified both Piacenti and the attacker, Pamela Cisneros, 49, who was shot and killed by officers shortly after the incident.
The stabbing occurred Monday afternoon, injuring another victim, a 68-year-old man whose identity has not been disclosed. He was hospitalized, but no updates on his condition were available as of Tuesday.
Bank of America expressed its condolences in a statement, saying, "We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague." The bank did not provide further details regarding Piacenti's role within the company.
Piacenti graduated with a law degree from Fordham Law School in 2021, alongside her husband, Frank Piacenti. Fordham Law released a statement expressing heartbreak over her death.
The attack took place in a heavily policed area, near a police station and close to the location of the city's annual New Year's Eve ball drop. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch noted that Cisneros had previous mental health-related encounters with police in 2018 and 2019 but had no arrest record in New York City.
According to Tisch, Cisneros pulled two knives from a shopping bag, first stabbing the man and then attacking Piacenti. Bystander videos captured the police surrounding Cisneros as she brandished the knives. Officers attempted to persuade her to drop the weapons for several minutes before using a stun gun. Cisneros reportedly stated she would rather kill the officers than comply.
Following this, two officers shot Cisneros, resulting in her death.