Woman Shot Dead by Police in Times Square After Stabbing Attack
Pamela Cisneros Lopez, 49, killed after fatally stabbing one and injuring another in unprovoked assault.
Sarah Connor
A 49-year-old New York City woman was shot dead by police in Times Square.
Lopez stabbed two people at random, killing Pacenti and injuring a 68-year-old man.
The male victim remains in stable condition after transport to Bellevue Hospital.
Officers initially deployed a taser on Lopez, but it proved ineffective; she reportedly rushed an officer, prompting police to fire shots.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed Pacenti's death and stated the male victim was in stable condition.
Police recovered two knives from the scene following the incident.
I'm not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you.
Commissioner Tisch claims Lopez told officers during a brief standoff, "I'm not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you."
Police are investigating the incident and have found no evidence of a terrorist attack; Commissioner Tisch also claims there was no evidence of a terrorist motive.
Commissioner Tisch claims the stabbings were random and unprovoked acts carried out by a woman with previous mental health problems.
Lopez had a documented history of mental health issues with the NYPD, including incidents in 2018 and 2019.
Aliou Diaye, a street vendor, stated the woman stabbed another person in front of his stand.
Hassan Abdallah, a fruit cart worker, described seeing the second victim being cared for by his wife.
Body cameras captured the incident, and police have asked onlookers to avoid the area during the ongoing investigation.
Cisneros and the female stabbing victim were pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.