Woman killed, man wounded in random Times Square stabbing; NYPD fatally shoots suspect
MIDTOWN (WABC) -- New York City police fatally shot an apparently emotionally disturbed woman after she allegedly stabbed two people in Times Square in a "random and unprovoked" attack, authorities said.
One victim, a 32-year-old woman, died at a hospital, police said. A 68-year-old man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and has since stabilized, officials said.
According to investigators, the suspect was threatening people with two knives near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue about 4:26 p.m. and stabbed the man and the woman.
The suspect then fled north toward the NYPD substation in Times Square, where officers confronted her, police said. She refused to drop the knives when officers approached, according to police.
Officers fired at 4:27 p.m., striking her, police said.
Two knives were recovered from the scene, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The NYPD also released a photo of the recovered weapons.
The first victim, the man, had just exited the subway and was waiting to cross the street with his wife when the suspect pulled the knives from a bag, waved them and then allegedly stabbed him in the abdomen "in what appears to be a random and unprovoked attack," Tisch said at a press briefing.
The suspect then went up Seventh Avenue toward 42nd Street, where she approached the second victim, who was similarly stabbed in the abdomen in an apparently random, unprovoked attack, Tisch said.
The suspect allegedly then fled north toward the NYPD substation, authorities said. Witnesses flagged down officers who confronted her for four minutes and "gave her numerous commands to drop the knife," which she refused, Tisch said.
"During the encounter, she told the officers, 'I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.' She repeated, 'I will kill you,'" Tisch said.
Officers deployed tasers twice before two officers discharged their service weapons, Tisch said.
The suspect, identified by police as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, was pronounced dead at a hospital. She had a "documented mental health history," Tisch said.
Police officials stressed the woman appears emotionally disturbed and the incident is not terror-related.
New Yorkers and visitors alike had to see and hear what they all wish was even less common here.
"I knew it was mental health issues. That's a big epidemic out here, bro. We gotta get that under control," Clyde Benjamin, who works in Times Square, said.
Bob Blomeley sas just today a stranger on the subway took a swing at him and missed. He as ready to duck.
"It's just on us to, to be mindful of, like staying aware of our surroundings and the people that are in it, and making good choices. And that means being mindful and not being distracted by my phone all the time, or what's playing in my ears," Blomeley said.
"We're from Ireland, where we don't see this at all. It's the first time I've ever seen anything like this. And you don't see police officers with guns," a tourist from Ireland said after witnessing Monday's incident.
The NYPD will conduct an internal investigation and body-worn camera footage will be released to the public, the mayor said.
"I want to thank the NYPD officers who stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse," New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during the press briefing. "This is what the men and women of this department do every single day to keep our city safe."
Mayor Mamdani created an Office of Community Safety to improve emergency responses by utilizing mental health workers in certain scenarios. This he said is not one of them.
"I've said before that that would not be applicable when there is the threat of violence and what we are speaking about is an alleged perpetrator who stabbed two individuals before then being engaged by police. We know that those families' lives have been shattered by what took place today. And we will continue to hold them close," Mamdani said.
Some information from ABC News
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