Daijiworld Media Network – New York

New York, Sep 2: A 32-year-old vice president of Bank of America was killed in a random stabbing attack at New York’s Times Square, police said.

The victim was identified as Erin Piacenti, who worked as a vice president in Bank of America’s Business Selection and Conflicts unit. She had reportedly recently returned from maternity leave.

According to eyewitness accounts, Piacenti was on her way home when she was attacked near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue in Times Square.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague,” Bank of America said in a statement.

Piacenti was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and earned her law degree from Fordham Law School. Days before her death, she had shared a photograph with her infant and husband on social media. She mentioned that her baby had recently been baptised and that the couple had celebrated their second wedding anniversary.

A 68-year-old man was also stabbed in the incident but was reported to be out of danger.

Police identified the alleged attacker as 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros. She was reportedly carrying two knives and was shot dead by police after allegedly advancing towards responding officers.

The New York Police Department described the incident as a confirmed officer-involved shooting and said an investigation was underway.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said a woman carrying multiple knives had stabbed two people before responding NYPD officers used a Taser and opened fire.

“I want to thank the NYPD officers who stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse,” Mamdani said.

He confirmed that one victim and the alleged attacker had died, while the second victim was hospitalised in stable condition.

The incident comes amid another fatal attack involving an Indian national in New York City. A 27-year-old man identified as Gurdeep Singh, a Sikh immigrant from Punjab’s Kapurthala district, was shot dead in East New York following an alleged altercation over a pizza delivery.

According to PTI, Singh was shot around 10 pm near Stanley Avenue. The suspect fled the scene and no arrests had been made at the time of the report.

The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) expressed grief over Singh’s death. NAPA Executive Director Satnam Singh Chahal said the repeated killing of young Punjabi and Sikh people was devastating for their families and urged the community not to accept such violence as normal.