Penn Grad Killed In NYC Knife Attack On 1st Day Back From Maternity Leave

A University of Pennsylvania graduate has been identified as the woman who was fatally stabbed in New York City earlier this week in a random knife attack. Erin Piacenti, 32, was killed Monday in Times Square. The New Jersey native and young mother had just finished her first day back from maternity leave at her job as a Vice President at Bank of America when she was randomly stabbed by a woman wielding two knives.

Police said the woman, later identified as Pamela Cisneros, 49, of Queens, soon after brandished two knives and advanced towards police. Videos from the scene show her stabbing the knives in the air as officers surround her.

Piacenti was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Family, Friends Mourn "Exceptionally Bright" Woman

Family and friends are now left to mourn an "exceptionally bright" person who "brought warmth and energy" to those around her, according to a description in an online fundraiser created for her widower, Frank. The couple shared a five-month-old daughter.

"Becoming a mother was Erin's lifelong ambition, and Madison gave her the greatest possible joy. August 31 was Erin's first day returning to work after her maternity leave.
Erin's life was defined not by the circumstances of her death, but instead by the way she lived,"the GoFundMe said. The online fundraiser, which will support the couple's child, has raised more than $466,000 as of Thursday morning.

Our family is grieving after the horrific Times Sq attack this week. Please support Madison's future if you would like to help.https://t.co/cEKp3SXAD0

— Aman Karmani (@tmm1) September 2, 2026

Days before the stabbing, the couple had returned from a summer vacation and had recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary, loved ones said.

The couple was "preparing to build a life together with their new daughter. That life changed incomprehensibly in an instant."

Piacenti was a Vice President at Bank of America, a role she has held since February 2025.

Piacenti's Pennsylvania Ties

The New Jersey native attended the University of Pennsylvania and got her law degree from Fordham University.

University of Pennsylvania representatives released a statement, saying the institution is "profoundly saddened by Erin Piacenti’s tragic and untimely death."

The statement went on to say: “Our thoughts go out to her family, friends, and all those who knew and loved her at this difficult time.”

The Daily Pennsylvanian, the university's newspaper, reported the New Jersey native was a member of Alpha Phi sorority and Dischord A Cappella. She also served as an alumni admissions interviewer for the University after graduating.

Stabbing Details

On Monday around 4:30 p.m., police were called to West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue in New York City for reports of a disorderly person. Cisneros was in possession of two knives, which she used to first stab a man before killing Piacenti. The man, identified as a 68-year-old, is expected to survive.

About 20 seconds earlier, Cisneros fatally stabbed Piacenti in the abdomen at 42nd Street, according to police.

She was soon surrounded by police.

After Cisneros refused to drop the weapons and continued advancing towards police, officers fatally shot her, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. She was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

The investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Force Investigation Division.

"I'm deeply saddened to report that one of the victims has passed away," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a Tuesday press conference. "I want to thank the NYPD officers, who stepped in and prevented a horrific attack from becoming even worse."