Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old vice president at Bank of America, was killed in a stabbing incident in Midtown Manhattan. The attack occurred near 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, where Piacenti was stabbed in the abdomen. She was transported to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, where medical staff pronounced her dead.
A second individual, a 68-year-old man, was also stabbed during the incident and was reported to be in stable condition by the New York Police Department.
Policymakers and officials identified the assailant as Pamela Cisneros, a 49-year-old resident of Queens. According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Cisneros approached a man exiting a subway station and stabbed him in the abdomen. She then moved north along Seventh Avenue and attacked Piacenti.
Tisch stated that both assaults took place within a 20-second window. Witnesses reported that Cisneros retrieved two large knives from a red bag before carrying out the attacks.
Officers responding to emergency calls encountered Cisneros still armed. After attempts to persuade her to drop the weapons failed, including the use of a Taser, police opened fire. Cisneros was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she died. The NYPD noted that Cisneros had a documented history of mental health incidents with the department in 2018 and 2019, but no prior criminal record.
Bank of America confirmed the death of Piacenti in a statement, describing her as a valued teammate. The company expressed its sorrow to her family and loved ones. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that the incident would undergo a full review, including an internal investigation and the release of body-worn camera footage. He credited the officers with preventing additional casualties.
