Bank Of America Vice President Erin Piacenti Identified As Victim Killed In Times Square Stabbing Attack

NEW YORK — A Bank of America vice president has been identified as the woman killed in a random, unprovoked stabbing attack in the heart of Times Square, the bank and New York City police confirmed this week.

Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester, New Jersey, died at the hospital after being stabbed in the stomach during the Monday afternoon attack, according to the New York Police Department. A 68-year-old man was also stabbed in the same incident and was later released from the hospital in stable condition.

Police said the attack occurred around 4:24 p.m. near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, one of the busiest pedestrian corridors in Manhattan, as officers responded to 911 calls reporting a disorderly person in the area.

"Upon arrival, officers encountered a 49-year-old female who displayed two large knives and advanced toward them," police said in a statement. "Officers discharged their firearms, striking the subject. The subject was transported to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue where she was pronounced deceased."

Police identified the suspect as Pamela Cisneros, 49, of Queens. According to investigators, Cisneros had been threatening people with two kitchen knives near the intersection before stabbing both the male victim and Piacenti. Officers deployed tasers twice before two officers ultimately fired their weapons, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Cisneros was pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital.

Tisch said Cisneros had a documented history of mental health episodes, including prior interactions with police, though she had no criminal record.

"Our officers were confronted with a rapidly evolving threat, with countless innocent people around them," Tisch said. "In that moment, they did what we train them to do."

Reflecting on the loss of life in the attack, Tisch called it "one life cut far too short by a senseless act of violence," adding that Piacenti left behind "family members and loved ones" now grieving her death.

Bank of America confirmed Piacenti's death in a statement, describing the loss as devastating to those who worked alongside her.

"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague," the bank said. "She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones."

Matthew Koder, president of the bank's Global Corporate & Investment Banking division, addressed Piacenti's death directly in an internal memo to staff, describing her as a well-regarded member of the team who had joined the bank roughly a year and a half earlier.

"Erin was a valued member of the Business Selection and Conflicts team, having joined the bank 18 months ago," Koder wrote, calling her a "cherished teammate and friend."

According to information from her social media profile cited by police, Piacenti worked as vice president of business selection and conflicts at the bank, a role focused on internal compliance and risk-related review processes tied to the firm's corporate and investment banking operations.

The attack unfolded in broad daylight in one of the most heavily trafficked and closely monitored public spaces in the country, drawing swift attention from law enforcement and prompting a large police response in the area surrounding Times Square. Witnesses in the area described a chaotic scene as officers moved to confront the armed suspect amid heavy pedestrian and tourist traffic.

The randomness of the attack has drawn particular attention from city officials and residents alike, coming amid broader public debate in New York City over how the city responds to individuals experiencing mental health crises in public spaces. Some New Yorkers who spoke about the incident pointed to mental health as an underlying concern in cases like this one.

"I knew it was mental health issues. That's a big epidemic out here, bro. We gotta get that under control," Clyde Benjamin, who works in Times Square, said in the aftermath of the attack.

City police data reviewed following the incident showed that major crime complaints in New York City are down 6.2% so far this year compared with the same period in 2025, with murders down 24.6% over that same span. Only two murders had previously been recorded in the Midtown South Precinct, which includes Times Square, before Monday's attack, underscoring how rare an incident of this nature is in that specific area of the city, even as it drew immediate comparisons to other high-profile acts of public violence in Manhattan in recent years.

Investigators recovered both knives used in the attack at the scene, and the case remains under investigation by the NYPD as authorities continue piecing together the circumstances that led to Cisneros' actions that afternoon. Police have not indicated any prior connection between Cisneros and either of the two people she stabbed, reinforcing their characterization of the attack as random and unprovoked.

Piacenti's death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from colleagues within the banking industry, many of whom described her as a rising professional whose career at the bank had been marked by strong internal regard from teammates and supervisors alike, according to the internal memo circulated by bank leadership.

The stabbing adds to a string of high-profile violent incidents in Manhattan in recent years that have drawn national attention, though officials have been careful to note that such attacks remain statistically rare relative to the city's overall population and daily foot traffic through areas like Times Square, which sees hundreds of thousands of visitors and commuters pass through on a typical day.

New York City officials have not announced any immediate policy changes in response to the attack, though the incident is likely to renew scrutiny of the city's approach to individuals with documented mental health histories who come into repeated contact with law enforcement without triggering more intensive intervention or care.

Funeral and memorial arrangements for Piacenti had not been publicly announced as of this week. Bank of America has not indicated whether it plans to take any formal steps, such as establishing a memorial fund, in her honor.