32-year-old Bank of America VP killed in Times Square attack
A vice-president of Bank of America, Erin Piacenti, has been killed in a stabbing incident in New York City’s Times Square.
Piacenti, 32, was attacked late Monday afternoon after another victim, a 68-year-old man, was stabbed by the same suspect. Police said the older man was taken to hospital and remained in stable condition.
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the incident as an unprovoked attack, saying the two stabbings occurred about 20 seconds apart.
“A witness at the scene told investigators that he observed the subject remove two knives from a red Target bag before approaching the first victim,” Tisch said at a press conference.
The suspect, identified by police as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros, allegedly stabbed the first victim in the abdomen before continuing along Seventh Avenue towards 42nd Street, where she attacked Piacenti.
Piacenti was rushed to hospital but later died from her injuries. Police officers subsequently shot Cisneros after she allegedly refused to drop her weapons and charged towards them. She was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Bank of America expressed shock and sadness over Piacenti’s death, describing her as a valued member of its team and saying she would be greatly missed.
