What Happened
Pamela Cisneros, a Queens resident, was shot and killed by NYPD officers Monday afternoon near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue in Times Square after stabbing two people, one fatally, according to News 12 Long Island. The New York attorney general’s office confirmed Cisneros’s death and announced it had opened an investigation into the officer-involved shooting as of Wednesday, September 3, 2026.
Investigators said Cisneros stabbed two people at the West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue location before officers located her. Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester, New Jersey, was killed in the attack. A 68-year-old man was also stabbed; he survived, police said.
Video released by authorities shows Cisneros carrying multiple knives and running toward officers before they fired. She was fatally shot at the scene, per investigators. Police said Cisneros had a history of mental health issues but no prior arrests.
The attorney general’s office reported the investigation on September 3, 2026, at 6:07 a.m. The inquiry was triggered automatically under state law, which mandates the AG review all officer-involved shootings resulting in death.
Location & Road Context
The incident occurred at one of the highest-foot-traffic intersections in New York State: West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan’s Times Square. While outside Long Island’s road network, the case carries direct relevance to Queens residents and commuters who travel through Midtown via the Queens-Midtown Tunnel or Penn Station on the LIRR. Cisneros was identified by police as a Queens resident.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The New York attorney general’s office opened a formal investigation into the officer-involved shooting, as News 12 Long Island reported September 3. State law requires the AG to independently investigate any instance in which a person dies following an encounter with a law enforcement officer. No charges against the officers involved had been announced as of the morning of September 3. The investigation into Piacenti’s death and the stabbing of the 68-year-old man remains open; no suspects are outstanding, as Cisneros was the sole alleged attacker identified by police.