Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old Bank of America vice president, was killed in a stabbing attack in Times Square on August 31, 2026. Police say the attack was random and unprovoked. Here is what is known so far.
What happened
The attack took place around 4:24 p.m. on Monday near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, in the heart of Times Square. Police say a woman pulled two knives from a Target bag and attacked a 68-year-old man first, stabbing him in the abdomen. About 20 seconds later, and about a block away, she stabbed Piacenti.
Piacenti was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The 68-year-old man was taken to Bellevue Hospital and later released in stable condition.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers who responded found the suspect still holding both knives on Seventh Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets. Officers spoke with her for about four minutes and ordered her to drop the weapons. Tisch said the suspect refused and told officers, “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.” Officers deployed Tasers, which did not stop her. When she advanced toward them, two officers opened fire. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.
The suspect
Police identified the suspect as Pamela Cisneros, 39, of Queens. The NYPD said she had a documented history of mental health concerns dating back to 2018 and 2019 but no criminal record. In 2018, she was reported to be screaming and acting erratically at a building on Manhattan’s East Side. In 2019, she reportedly threatened to jump in front of a subway train at Union Turnpike station in Queens. Her father, Mario Cisneros, told reporters he was struggling to accept what his daughter had done.
Who was Erin Piacenti
Piacenti lived in Chester, New Jersey, and worked as a vice president of business selection and conflicts at Bank of America, in the bank’s global corporate and investment banking division. Her office was about a block from the attack.
She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016, where she sang with the a cappella group Penn Dischord. She earned a law degree from Fordham Law School in 2021. As a child, she attended Villa Walsh Academy, a Catholic girls’ school in Morristown, New Jersey. Her maiden name was Guiltinan.
She married her husband, Frank Piacenti, on August 10, 2024. The two met at Fordham Law School and graduated together in 2021. They had recently marked their second wedding anniversary. Fordham University said in a statement that its thoughts were with Frank, their families, and everyone who knew Erin. Public records show no children.
Bank of America said in a statement: “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones.”
The investigation
The NYPD said the attack had no apparent connection to terrorism. Both knives used in the stabbings were recovered at the scene. The shooting of Cisneros is being reviewed by the department’s Force Investigation Division, the unit that examines police use of force.
Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance, called the stabbings a tragedy. Tisch said, “One life cut far too short by a senseless act of violence.”
