A 49-year-old Queens woman identified as Pamela Cisneros was fatally shot by New York police after she allegedly stabbed two people in a random and unprovoked attack in the heart of Times Square. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Cisneros had a documented mental-health history with the NYPD, including incidents in 2018 and 2019, but had no arrest history. The attack unfolded on Monday afternoon when Cisneros allegedly pulled two large knives from a shopping bag and stabbed a 68-year-old man and, moments later, a 32-year-old woman. The woman later died at Bellevue Hospital, while the man remained in stable condition. Police then confronted Cisneros, who refused repeated orders to drop the knives before officers fatally shot her.
Who was Pamela Cisneros?
Pamela Cisneros was a 49-year-old woman from Queens who was identified by the NYPD as the suspect in the Times Square double stabbing. Authorities have not released extensive biographical information about her, and the circumstances surrounding her life before the attack remain limited in the public record. What police have confirmed is that Cisneros had previous documented interactions with the NYPD connected to mental-health concerns. Commissioner Jessica Tisch said those incidents occurred in 2018 and 2019, while also stressing that Cisneros had no arrest history with the department.
What happened in Times Square?
The incident began shortly after 4:20pm near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, according to police. Tisch said Cisneros took two knives from a red shopping bag and approached a 68-year-old man who had just left a subway station and was waiting to cross the street with his wife. She allegedly stabbed him in the abdomen before moving north along Seventh Avenue and attacking a 32-year-old woman in the abdomen. The two stabbings occurred within about 20 seconds of each other. Both victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead. The male victim remained in stable condition.
Police confronted Cisneros with two knives
Witnesses alerted officers after the attacks, and police encountered Cisneros on Seventh Avenue between West 42nd and West 43rd streets. Tisch said officers spent about four minutes speaking to her and repeatedly ordered her to drop the knives. She refused to comply and, according to the commissioner, told officers, “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.” She reportedly repeated a threat to kill the officers as the confrontation continued. Body-camera footage captured the encounter, according to police, and officials said the footage will be released.
Why did police shoot her?
Police said officers tried to stop Cisneros without immediately resorting to gunfire. Multiple officers deployed Tasers, but the devices failed to incapacitate her. Video described by authorities showed Cisneros continuing towards officers while holding and waving the knives. Two officers then fired their service weapons, striking Cisneros. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The police shooting is being investigated, as is standard in officer-involved shootings, while Tisch and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended the officers’ response and said their actions prevented the situation from becoming even more serious.
What is known about her mental health history?
Tisch said Cisneros had a documented mental-health history with the NYPD and had been involved in incidents with police in 2018 and 2019. The commissioner did not provide further details about those incidents or identify a specific diagnosis. Authorities also said Cisneros had no previous arrest history with the department. The disclosure has become a significant part of the investigation because police described the Times Square attacks as random and unprovoked, while officials characterised Cisneros as emotionally disturbed. However, there is currently no public evidence establishing a specific motive for the stabbings or directly explaining how her previous mental-health contacts related to Monday’s attack.
Was the Times Square attack terrorism?
Police said there was no evidence at this stage suggesting that the attack was terrorism-related. Tisch described the stabbings as random and unprovoked, with the victims apparently selected without any known connection to Cisneros. The attack took place in one of New York City’s busiest tourist areas and near an NYPD substation, making the rapid police response particularly significant. Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the stabbings, the police confrontation and the fatal shooting.The investigation will now focus on reconstructing the sequence of events, including the two stabbings, the four-minute confrontation and the moment officers opened fire. Police said the shooting was captured on body-worn cameras, which could provide investigators with a detailed account of the officers’ commands, Cisneros’s movements and the failed attempts to subdue her. The identities of the two stabbing victims had not initially been released pending notification of their families. Meanwhile, authorities are expected to examine Cisneros’s previous interactions with police and any other information that could shed light on what led to the seemingly random attack in Times Square.
