Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old Vice President in Bank of America’s Business Selection and Conflicts unit was killed in a random unprovoked stabbing near Times Square in Midtown Manhattan.
A 32-year-old Bank of America Vice President, Erin Piacenti has died after being stabbed in a random unprovoked attack in New York City’s Times Square.The tragic incident occurred on Monday afternoon near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue close to Bank of America’s Manhattan office.
According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the attacker identified as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros pulled two large kitchen knives from a shopping bag and began targeting passersby without warning.
The violence began when Cisneros stabbed a 68-year-old male tourist in the abdomen after he exited a nearby subway station. Seconds later, she turned on Piacenti, inflicting fatal knife wounds to her abdomen. Emergency responders rushed both victims to Bellevue Hospital, where Piacenti later died from her injuries. The 68-year-old man remains in stable condition.
Police officers arrived at the scene within minutes and surrounded Cisneros, spending several minutes ordering her to drop the weapons. When she refused to comply and advanced toward the officers while holding the knives, police used a Taser to subdue her.
After the Taser failed to stop her advance officers fired their weapons, fatally wounding the suspect. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch noted that while the attacker had a history of mental health incidents documented by police she had no prior arrest record.
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Piacenti served as Vice President of Business Selection and Conflicts at Bank of America, a role she had held since February 2025. She was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Fordham University School of Law and had previously worked at top institutions including Morgan Stanley.
In an official statement, Bank of America expressed shock and sorrow over the loss describing Piacenti as a deeply valued teammate and sending condolences to her family and loved ones. The senseless tragedy has once again raised serious safety concerns regarding violent, unprovoked attacks in high-traffic public spaces.
