A Bank of America executive and new mother has been identified as one of the victims of a stabbing in Times Square, New York City. Erin Piacenti, 32, was fatally stabbed on Monday, August 31. One other person was injured in the incident before police shot the suspect.
Victim's career and family
Piacenti was a vice-president of Bank of America's business selection and conflicts unit, according to her LinkedIn profile. She had recently become a mother and had returned to work from maternity leave, the New York Post reports.
Days before she was killed, Piacenti posted a photograph of herself smiling while holding her infant and standing with her husband. She wrote about how happy she was and said she was grateful for getting five months off to care for her new daughter.
Bank's response
"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones," the US banking company said in a statement on Tuesday.
Bank of America's Manhattan office is located near where the incident took place.
Police account of the attack
A man, 68, also sustained stab wounds in the attack and was in stable condition, the NYPD said in a statement. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the attack appeared to be random and unprovoked.
Crowds came to a halt in the popular tourist spot as Pamela Cisneros, 49, brandished two large knives. Police descended on the scene and she moved toward officers yielding the weapons. Police used a stun gun but were unable to persuade her to drop the blades. Officers shot Cisneros and she was later pronounced dead. Tisch said Cisneros had a documented mental health history.
