A quiet Monday afternoon in one of the world's busiest intersections turned violent in a matter of seconds. A 32-year-old woman was killed and another person hospitalized after a double stabbing unfolded in Times Square, New York, late Monday, before police shot the suspect, who later died at the hospital.

How the Attack Unfolded

The suspect, a woman armed with two knives, was shot by responding officers after a brief but tense confrontation. All three people involved — the two victims and the suspect — were transported to the hospital, where both the female victim and the suspect were later pronounced dead, Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed at a news conference.

Identifying the Victims

The woman who died was later identified as Erin Piacenti, an employee of Bank of America. The second victim, a man, remains in stable condition following the attack.

Police Describe an "Unprovoked" Assault

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch characterized the attack as entirely unprovoked, noting the two stabbings occurred just 20 seconds apart from one another — a timeline that underscores how rapidly the situation escalated.

The 911 Calls That Triggered the Response

According to preliminary information cited by Tisch, the NYPD's call center began receiving multiple 911 calls at approximately 4:24 p.m. local time, reporting that a woman armed with two knives was stabbing people along Seventh Avenue in Times Square. Investigators believe the incident began near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.

The First Attack

Police say the suspect approached a man who had just exited the subway and was standing with his wife, waiting to cross the street. "A witness at the scene told investigators that he observed the subject remove two knives from a red Target bag before approaching the first victim," Tisch told reporters.

"The subject waved the knives before stabbing a 68-year-old man in the right side of his abdomen, in what appears to be a random and unprovoked attack," Tisch said. That victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital and is now listed as stable.

The Second Attack

After the first stabbing, the suspect continued moving up Seventh Avenue toward 42nd Street, where she stabbed the second victim, Piacenti, who did not survive despite being rushed to the hospital.

A Company Mourns Its Employee

Bank of America issued a statement to the BBC following news of Piacenti's death: "We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones."

A Tense Standoff With Police

As the suspect continued along Seventh Avenue, officers attempted to get her to drop her weapons, engaging with her for roughly four minutes, according to the NYPD commissioner.

"During the encounter she told the officers 'I'm not dropping anything, I'd rather kill both of you.' She repeated 'I will kill you,'" Tisch said, describing the suspect's response to officers' attempts at de-escalation.

The Final Confrontation

The suspect waved her knives toward the officers, who then deployed Tasers — devices that proved "ineffective" and failed to stop her from continuing to advance toward them, according to Tisch. NYPD officers subsequently shot the woman, who was later pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital as well.

Identifying the Suspect

The suspect was later identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens. Police said she had never previously been arrested, but had a documented mental health history with the NYPD, including one prior incident in 2018 and another in 2019, according to Tisch.

Witnesses Describe the Chaos

Melinda Puzon, a tourist visiting from Boston, told CBS News, the BBC's American reporting partner, that she heard the gunshots and saw "so many people on the street" in the aftermath.

"It's very shocking," Puzon said.