Times Square horror: Woman kills one, injures another before being shot dead by NYPD

A deadly knife attack rocked Times Square as a woman stabbed two people and was later shot dead by police after refusing to drop her weapons

PGurus Newsdesk

September 1, 2026

A knife-wielding woman stabbed two people in New York's Times Square, killing one, before she was shot dead by NYPD officers

The 49-year-old suspect allegedly attacked two people with knives in the heart of New York before advancing towards police officers who had tried to disarm her

A knife-wielding woman went on a deadly rampage in New York’s Times Square, stabbing two people before she was shot dead by police after refusing repeated orders to drop her weapons.

The attack took place shortly before 4:30 pm local time on Monday near One Times Square, one of the busiest and most heavily policed tourist areas in Manhattan.

According to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the 49-year-old woman, identified as Pamela Cisneros of Queens, pulled two large knives from a shopping bag and attacked a 68-year-old man who had just exited a subway station.

The man was stabbed in the abdomen and taken to hospital. He remains in stable condition.

Seconds later, the woman allegedly attacked a 32-year-old woman, also stabbing her in the abdomen. The woman was rushed to hospital but later died.

Police confront knife-wielding woman

After the attacks, officers located the suspect near a nearby NYPD substation.

Police repeatedly ordered her to drop the knives. According to Commissioner Tisch, officers spent around four minutes attempting to de-escalate the situation.

The woman allegedly refused to surrender the weapons and threatened the officers.

Police subsequently deployed Tasers, but the weapons failed to incapacitate her. The suspect then continued moving towards the officers while holding the knives, prompting two officers to open fire.

The woman was shot and later pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

No terrorism link found

Authorities have described the attack as random and unprovoked and said there was currently no indication that it was terrorism-related.

Police said the suspect had a documented history of mental-health-related incidents with the NYPD dating back to 2018 and 2019, although she had no prior arrest history with the department.

The identities of the two victims had not been publicly released pending notification of their families.

Times Square briefly sealed off

Following the attack, police temporarily closed part of Seventh Avenue and cordoned off the area as investigators examined the crime scene.

The incident unfolded in one of New York’s busiest tourist districts, where thousands of residents, commuters and visitors can be present at any given time.

Commissioner Tisch said the officers faced an extremely dangerous situation because of the large number of people in the area and praised their response. Mayor Zohran Mamdani also expressed condolences to the victims and their families.

The incident is now under investigation, including a review of police body-camera footage. Authorities are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the stabbing spree and the subsequent police shooting.

Second fatal stabbing in Times Square this year

The latest incident is the second fatal stabbing reported in Times Square this year.

Despite the high-profile nature of the attack, authorities noted that violent crime in New York City has declined sharply in 2026, with homicides reportedly down 24% so far this year.

The Times Square attack nevertheless renewed concerns over public safety in one of the world’s most recognisable tourist destinations.

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