A Bank of America vice president has been identified as the woman killed in an apparently random stabbing in New York City’s Times Square on Monday afternoon.
Erin Piacenti, 32, died from injuries sustained in the attack near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue at around 4:30 p.m., according to reports. Bloomberg News first reported her identity on Tuesday.
A 68-year-old man was also stabbed during the incident and was taken to hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.
Bank of America expressed its condolences following Piacenti’s death.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague,” the bank said in a statement. “She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones.”
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said investigators believed the attack was random and unprovoked.
Police officers responding to the scene attempted to use a Taser on the female suspect as she approached them carrying knives, according to Tisch. When the Taser failed to stop her advance, officers opened fire, fatally wounding her.
Authorities have not indicated that Piacenti or the other victim had any known connection to the attacker.
The fatal stabbing occurred in one of Manhattan’s busiest pedestrian areas and comes amid heightened attention to high-profile acts of violence in Midtown.
In another widely publicised case, Luigi Mangione recently pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot on West 54th Street near Sixth Avenue.