A 49-year-old Queens woman identified as Pamela Cisneros was fatally shot by New York police after she allegedly stabbed two people in a random and unprovoked attack in the heart of Times Square. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Cisneros had a documented mental-health history with the NYPD, including incidents in 2018 and 2019, but had no arrest history. The attack unfolded on Monday afternoon when Cisneros allegedly pulled two large knives from a shopping bag and stabbed a 68-year-old man and, moments later, a 32-year-old woman. The woman later died at Bellevue Hospital, while the man remained in stable condition. Police then confronted Cisneros, who refused repeated orders to drop the knives before officers fatally shot her.
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Who was Pamela Cisneros?
Pamela Cisneros was a 49-year-old woman from Queens who was identified by the NYPD as the suspect in the Times Square double stabbing. Authorities have not released extensive biographical information about her, and the circumstances surrounding her life before the attack remain limited in the public record. What police have confirmed is that Cisneros had previous documented interactions with the NYPD connected to mental-health concerns. Commissioner Jessica Tisch said those incidents occurred in 2018 and 2019, while also stressing that Cisneros had no arrest history with the department.
What happened in Times Square?
The incident began shortly after 4:20pm near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, according to police. Tisch said Cisneros took two knives from a red shopping bag and approached a 68-year-old man who had just left a subway station and was waiting to cross the street with his wife. She allegedly stabbed him in the abdomen before moving north along Seventh Avenue and attacking a 32-year-old woman in the abdomen. The two stabbings occurred within about 20 seconds of each other. Both victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead. The male victim remained in stable condition.
