A woman armed with knives attacked strangers in Times Square, killing one person and wounding another before police shot the suspect, and investigators are piecing together why the random violence happened in a crowded public space.

On Monday afternoon, a 49-year-old woman identified as Pamela Cisneros carried out a sudden knife attack in New York City’s Times Square that left one person dead and another injured. Responding officers confronted the attacker, who ignored commands and was ultimately shot; she later died at a hospital. The scene unfolded in a packed tourist area just before rush hour, drawing immediate attention and a heavy police response.

Bank of America Vice President Erin Piacenti was killed during a high-profile stabbing in New York City’s Times Square on Monday. 

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) identified Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester, New Jersey, as the deceased victim. 

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Bank of America acknowledged Piacenti’s death in an email obtained by Reuters.

“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,” the bank wrote in the email.

Piacenti was one of two people stabbed in the violent attack Monday, the other a 68-year-old male who is now in stable condition, according to the NYPD. 

After receiving a 911 call shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, NYPD officers found a 49-year-old woman wielding two knives in Times Square. 

The NYPD identified her as Pamela Cisneros, of Queen, New York. Officers shot Cisneros, who was later pronounced dead at the hospital, the department said.

Witnesses described officers trying nonlethal options first, including deploying tasers, which reportedly did not stop the assailant. She was carrying two knives and repeatedly refused police commands to disarm. City officials say the interaction lasted several minutes and ended when officers used lethal force to neutralize the immediate threat.

The woman killed in the attack was identified as 32-year-old Erin Piacenti, a Bank of America vice president. People who knew her noted recent happy milestones: she had celebrated her second wedding anniversary and had a baby girl about five months earlier. Colleagues and neighbors expressed shock that an everyday afternoon in a busy Manhattan square would turn deadly for someone described as a devoted parent and professional.

A woman armed with two knives randomly stabbed two people, one fatally, in the middle of crowded Times Square on Monday afternoon before being shot dead by the police when she refused to put down her weapons, the authorities said.

Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said that the police tried to persuade the woman to disarm for four minutes, but that she told officers: “I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.”

The mayhem erupted just before 4:30 p.m. Ms. Tisch said that the woman, Pamela Cisneros, 49, walked up to a 68-year-old man who had just exited the subway with his wife. The couple were waiting to cross the street at West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue when Ms. Cisneros pulled the knives from a red Target bag, stabbed the man on the side of his abdomen and headed toward 42nd Street, Ms. Tisch said.

The fatal stabbing came less than 20 seconds later, the police said. Aliou Dieye, a vendor who sells sunglasses and ball caps, said he saw the assailant holding a knife and approaching another woman right in front of his stand.

Family members later spoke about the suspect’s long-running struggles with mental health, describing periods of stability interspersed with erratic behavior. Those close to her said she had been treated in recent years and appeared stable shortly before the attack. The contrast between a reportedly medicated, seemingly stable life and an abrupt, violent outburst has left relatives, neighbors, and city officials searching for answers.

The crazed knife-wielding woman who went on a sudden stabbing rampage near Times Square — before being shot dead by police — was a mother of three who long struggled with her mental health and had multiple erratic run-ins with police, her family and sources revealed Tuesday.

Pamela Cisneros, 49, battled what her stunned brother described as bipolar disorder, but had been getting treatment in recent years — and showed no sign she’d go murderously berserk as she did during terrifying random attacks Monday, he said.

“She never showed any aggressiveness or being violent. I don’t know what happened,” Patrick Peralta, 59, told The Post, adding his sister, a Queens native, had found some stability through medication in recent years and reported feeling “fine” as recently as Saturday.

Court records, meandering social media posts, neighbors and sources paint a portrait of Cisneros living an alternately troubled and tranquil life before she chillingly snapped in the heart of Manhattan — slaying a young Bank of America executive and injuring a Rhode Island man who was in town visiting his son.

The attack has reopened debates about how mental health challenges are tracked and treated, and how public safety systems react when someone poses a sudden threat. City agencies and police are reviewing body camera footage and 911 recordings as part of the ongoing investigation. Officials say they will release more details as investigators confirm what led to the attack and whether any prior encounters should have alerted authorities sooner.

For now, Times Square remains a magnet for visitors and locals, but the shock of a random act like this leaves a different kind of mark on a city used to moving quickly past crises. The immediate focus for officials is completing the investigation, supporting the victims’ families, and assessing any changes needed to prevent similar tragedies in dense public spaces.