US
Quick Read
Police appeared to use a Taser before Cisneros moved toward officers while still armed, prompting them to open fire. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 32-year-old Bank of America vice president was fatally stabbed in New York’s Times Square in what police described as an apparently random and unprovoked attack.
Erin Piacenti was stabbed in the stomach on Monday and later died at a hospital, according to the New York Police Department.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the attacks appeared to have been random and unprovoked. She also said Cisneros had a documented history of mental-health encounters with police.
Forbes reports that the confrontation ended when officers shot Cisneros following a roughly four-minute standoff. Video circulating on social media appeared to show officers ordering her to drop the knives as she refused to comply.
Police appeared to use a Taser before Cisneros moved toward officers while still armed, prompting them to open fire. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Bank of America said it was “shocked and deeply saddened” by Piacenti’s death, describing her as a “valued teammate who will be greatly missed.”
Piacenti worked as a vice president in the bank’s business selection and conflicts unit. Her professional background included an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from Fordham University School of Law.
The killing comes amid heightened public attention to violent attacks involving prominent professionals in Manhattan, including the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, though authorities have not indicated any connection between the two cases.
Despite the high-profile incident, overall major crime complaints in New York City were down 6.2% year-to-date compared with the same period in 2025, according to NYPD data. Murders were down 24.6%.
The Midtown South precinct, which covers Times Square, had recorded two murders this year through August, according to the police data.
