New York: A knife-wielding woman stabbed two people in New York City’s busy Times Square on Monday afternoon, killing one of them, before police fatally shot her after she advanced towards officers with two knives, authorities said.

The attack took place at around 4:30 p.m. local time near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue, as the area was crowded with tourists, commuters and families. According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), the woman, identified by local authorities as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, carried out what police described as a random and unprovoked attack.

One of the victims, a 32-year-old woman, was stabbed in the abdomen and later died at Bellevue Hospital. The other victim, a 68-year-old man, was also stabbed in the abdomen and remained in stable condition at the hospital, officials said.

Woman Stabbed Two People Before Police Shooting

Police said the suspect first approached the 68-year-old man near the subway and stabbed him before heading towards another woman near 42nd Street.

Cisneros was then confronted by NYPD officers near a police substation. Authorities said she was carrying two knives and refused repeated orders to drop them.

Officers attempted to subdue her with a Taser, but the effort failed. She then moved towards the officers while brandishing the knives, prompting police to open fire. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Bystander video showed several officers surrounding the woman before she moved towards them with the knives. The NYPD is investigating the officer-involved shooting, as is standard procedure.

Police Rule Out Terror Link

New York authorities said there was no indication that the stabbing was related to terrorism. Police described the incident as an unprovoked attack and said the woman appeared to be emotionally disturbed.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed that one victim and the attacker had died, while the second victim was stable in hospital.

Mamdani thanked NYPD officers who responded to the incident, saying their intervention prevented the attack from becoming even more serious.

The incident triggered a heavy emergency response in the heart of Times Square, with police closing parts of the area and warning people to avoid the location as the investigation continued.