Published September 02, 2026
The suspect in the fatal stabbing of a Bank of America executive has been identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, New York.
She was shot dead on the spot by police on Monday, August 31, after she allegedly stabbed two people in Times Square.
The victims include a 68-year-old man and Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old Bank of America vice president who later died from her injuries, as reported by the New York Police Department.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch noted that Cisneros had a “documented mental health history” with prior police encounters.
The attack unfolded in broad daylight near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue. Tisch shared details that Cisneros first approached a 68-year-old man and stabbed him in the abdomen before turning on Piacenti, stabbing her in the stomach.
Both victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where Piacenti was pronounced dead. The man remains in stable condition.
When officers arrived, they found Cisneros brandishing two large kitchen knives. Body-camera footage reveals a four-minute standoff during which officers attempted to persuade Cisneros to drop her weapons.
Cisneros reportedly told police: “I’m not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you.”
Multiple officers deployed stun guns, but Cisneros continued advancing towards them with the knives. Two officers then fired their service weapons, striking Cisneros. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.