New York, Sept 1:
A knife-wielding woman stabbed two people in New York City’s Times Square on Monday afternoon, killing one and seriously injuring another, before she was shot dead by police following a tense confrontation.
The suspect was identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens. Police said she allegedly attacked a 68-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman within seconds of each other in the busy Midtown area.
The 68-year-old man was stabbed in the abdomen near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue. He was taken to hospital and was reported to be in stable condition.
About 20 seconds later, Cisneros allegedly stabbed the 32-year-old woman near West 42nd Street. The woman suffered abdominal stab wounds and was rushed to hospital, where she later died.
Cisneros fled the scene carrying two knives and was located by police near an NYPD substation.
Officers repeatedly ordered her to drop the weapons. Police also used Tasers in an attempt to subdue her, but the devices proved ineffective.
According to police, Cisneros continued advancing towards officers while holding the knives, prompting them to open fire.
She was taken to Bellevue Hospital but later died from her injuries.
The confrontation was captured on police body-worn cameras. Authorities said the footage would form part of an internal investigation into the police shooting.
Investigators said the attack appeared to have been random and unprovoked. No clear motive had been established and authorities said there was no indication that the incident was terrorism-related.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed condolences to the victims and praised the officers who intervened in the crowded tourist district.
The incident caused alarm in Times Square, one of New York’s busiest areas, where thousands of tourists and commuters are present on a typical afternoon.
Police said the investigation into the stabbing attacks and the circumstances leading to the fatal police shooting was continuing.