A Bank of America vice president was stabbed to death in Times Square on Monday, killed in broad daylight during a random knife rampage.
Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester, New Jersey, was attacked in the abdomen by Pamela Cisneros Lopez, 49. She later died from her wounds. Sources told the New York Post that Piacenti held the title of vice president of business selection and conflicts at Bank of America. Social media posts showed she had recently celebrated her second wedding anniversary.
Lopez did not stop with one victim. Police said she also stabbed a 68-year-old man in the stomach while he waited to cross a street with his wife. That victim was hospitalized in stable condition.
According to a report, Lopez pulled two knives from a shopping bag before launching the attacks. Officers initially attempted to stop her with a taser as she waved both knives, but the less-lethal option failed. She then charged directly at officers, who opened fire. Two gunshots were heard before Lopez fell to the pavement. Officers handcuffed her and began administering first aid immediately after.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Lopez issued a chilling warning to officers during the confrontation: “I’m not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you.”
Tisch called it an extraordinarily dangerous situation unfolding at one of the most trafficked intersections on earth. “At any given moment, there are thousands of New Yorkers, commuters, tourists, families, workers moving through these streets,” she said.
Tisch confirmed that Lopez had a documented mental health history with the NYPD, including incidents in 2018 and 2019, but she had never previously been arrested. Investigators believe there was no clear motive for the attacks. Authorities found no connection to terrorism.
Witnesses described a scene of chaos and blood. Linda Ruiz told the Daily News she saw a man bleeding heavily from his leg, pleading for help, and a woman on the ground nearby who was unresponsive. “There was a lot of blood,” Ruiz said. “She wasn’t conscious. The police were trying to resuscitate her, but she wasn’t moving. It was horrible.”
Hassan Abdallah, who works at a nearby fruit cart, said he watched the male victim’s wife desperately press a scarf and paper against his wound to slow the bleeding. A witness who recorded part of the incident using smart glasses said officers surrounded Lopez and spoke with her for roughly five minutes before the shooting.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Commissioner Tisch both praised the officers who responded, saying their intervention likely prevented additional casualties.
Police recovered two knives from the scene. The investigation is ongoing. The killing has renewed public debate over random violence and safety in one of New York City’s most visible and heavily traveled locations.