Chester woman killed in shocking Times Square stabbing

🚨A 32-year-old Chester woman was fatally stabbed in Times Square Monday

🚨Police say a woman attacked two people with knives near One Times Square.

🚨The suspect was shot by police after a Taser failed to stop her

NEW YORK CITY — A Chester, New Jersey, woman was fatally stabbed in Times Square Monday afternoon in what police described as a seemingly random attack.

The stabbing happened just before 4:30 p.m. next to a New York Police Department substation, just outside One Times Square, according to the NYPD.

A 49-year-old woman from Queens pulled out two knives from a shopping bag and stabbed a 68-year-old man who had just come out of the subway station, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. The man was waiting to cross the street with his wife when he was struck in the abdomen,

Seconds later, the attacker stabbed a 32-year-old woman, also in the abdomen, Tisch said. Both victims were taken to the hospital. The woman died, while the man is in stable condition, according to police.

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Knives used in fatal Times Square stabbing Mon., Aug. 31, 2026

Chester woman identified as Times Square stabbing victim

The woman who was stabbed was identified by the New York Post as Erin Piacenti, 32, of Chester. She had recently celebrated her second wedding anniversary. The New York Times reports she was a new mother and had recently returned to work after a maternity leave. The family spent the summer traveling and made a stop in LBI, according to the Times.

Piacenti was a Vice President of Business Selection and Conflicts for Bank of America. She held degrees from Fordham University and the University of Pennsylvania, according to her LinkedIn page.

Bank of America confirmed her identity in a statement to New Jersey 101.5 on Tuesday.

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

Police shot suspect after Taser failed

The woman who stabbed the two victims came toward officers waving two knives and refusing orders to drop them, according to police.

Officers shot her after a Taser had no effect.

The circumstances surrounding the attack and what led the woman to stab the two victims remain under investigation.

(Includes material Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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