Random Knife Attack in Times Square Kills One Woman, Leaves City Shaken

A Deadly Afternoon in the Heart of New York

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 tense four-minute standoff. The attack on August 31, 2026, unfolded with terrifying speed in one of the most recognizable — and most heavily monitored — public spaces on earth, leaving bystanders frozen and the city reeling.

The 49-year-old woman from Queens pulled out two knives from a shopping bag and stabbed a 68-year-old man who had just come out of the subway station and was waiting to cross the street with his wife, striking him in the abdomen. Seconds later, the woman stabbed a 32-year-old woman also in the abdomen. One of the victims, the 32-year-old woman, died at the hospital from her injuries. The other was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition.

A Standoff Captured on Camera

The stabbing took place on Seventh Avenue in one of the busiest pedestrian areas in the world, where Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said thousands of commuters, families, and tourists were nearby. The shooting happened just before 4:30 p.m. next to a New York Police Department substation, just outside One Times Square, the building that hosts the city's annual New Year's Eve ball drop celebration. The location could not have been more public — or more jarring.

Videos posted on social media show a group of at least 10 officers gathered around the woman, who was holding two large kitchen knives, as officers tried to convince her to drop them for several minutes before using a Taser. The suspect ignored officers' numerous commands, telling them: "I'm not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you." The video shows the Taser failing to incapacitate her, and the woman walking quickly toward the officers while waving the knives — at which point two officers shot her.

Who Was the Attacker?

The suspect, identified by police as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, was pronounced dead at a hospital. She had a "documented mental health history," Commissioner Tisch said. Police officials stressed the woman appeared emotionally disturbed and that the incident is not terror-related. The NYPD said that while Cisneros does not have an arrest history, she does have a mental health history, with documented NYPD incidents in 2018 and 2019.

Five people were hospitalized in total, including two police officers. Two knives were recovered from the scene, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Tisch defended the officers' actions, saying: "Our officers did exactly what they're trained to do, and that is to protect themselves when a perpetrator is coming at them armed with and waving two knives."

City Leaders Respond, Investigation Underway

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during the press briefing: "I want to thank the NYPD officers who stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse." The NYPD will conduct an internal investigation, and body-worn camera footage will be released to the public, the mayor said.

The attack raises uncomfortable questions about mental health crisis intervention in densely populated public spaces — and whether systems designed to identify and assist people in distress are reaching those who need help most. Commissioner Tisch offered somber words for those left behind: "There are family members and loved ones who are now confronting the unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with them." As the investigation continues and body camera footage is reviewed, New Yorkers and city officials alike will be pressing for answers about how a woman with a known mental health history could reach a breaking point in the middle of one of the world's busiest intersections — and what, if anything, could have been done to stop it.