Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Times Square Stabbing Kills One; Police Fatally Shoot Attacker
A woman attacked two people with kitchen knives in Times Square.
Police said she took the knives from a shopping bag.
She first stabbed a 68-year-old man and then a 32-year-old woman.
Both victims were taken to a hospital.
The woman died, while the man was in stable condition.
Police surrounded the attacker and asked her to drop the knives.
A Taser did not stop her, and officers shot her when she moved toward them.
Police are investigating the motive and said the attack did not appear to be terrorism-related.
Police said a 49-year-old Queens woman pulled two kitchen knives from a shopping bag and stabbed two people in Times Square.
A 32-year-old woman died, while a 68-year-old man was hospitalized in stable condition.
The attack occurred before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, August 31, outside One Times Square beside a New York Police Department substation.
Officers reportedly issued verbal commands and used a Taser before two officers shot the woman as she moved toward them with the knives.
Police said the woman had a documented mental health history but no department arrest history; officials said there was no evidence of terrorism.
- Who
- A 49-year-old Queens woman, two stabbing victims, and New York City police were involved.
- What
- The woman stabbed a 68-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, killing the latter, before police fatally shot her.
- When
- Before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, August 31; one article identifies the year as 2026.
- Where
- Outside One Times Square near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue in Times Square, beside a police substation.
- Why
- Police characterized the attack as random, but the motive remained under investigation; officials said there was no evidence of terrorism.
Police and Officials' Account
Available Footage and Open Questions
Use of force
Police and Officials' Account
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers spent several minutes asking the woman to drop the knives, used a Taser, and shot her when she moved toward officers.
Available Footage and Open Questions
Bystander videos show at least 10 officers surrounding the woman, a Taser attempt, and officers drawing firearms, but the footage does not establish every detail of the encounter.
Threat during confrontation
Police and Officials' Account
Tisch said the woman refused to drop the knives, allegedly saying, "I'm not dropping anything, I would rather kill both of you," before moving toward officers while waving the weapons.
Available Footage and Open Questions
The videos show the woman moving toward officers, but the footage alone does not independently verify the quoted statement or the complete sequence of events.
Motive and mental health
Police and Officials' Account
Police described the stabbings as random, cited a documented mental health history, and said there was no evidence of terrorism.
Available Footage and Open Questions
Police continued investigating why the attack occurred and provided no further details about the woman's mental health history or its relevance.
- Attacker
- A 49-year-old woman from Queens with a documented mental health history
- Victims
- A 68-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman
- Weapon
- Two large kitchen knives reportedly taken from a shopping bag
- Location
- Outside One Times Square, next to a New York Police Department substation
- Victim outcomes
- The 32-year-old woman died; the 68-year-old man was reported in stable condition
- Police response
- Officers tried verbal commands and a Taser before two officers shot the woman
- Investigation
- Police were investigating the motive; officials said there was no evidence of a terrorist attack
Sources
Woman stabs one to death, injures another in New York's Times Square; shot dead by cops
Woman Randomly Stabs 2 In New York's Times Square, Kills Woman, Injures Man, Fatally Shot By Police
Terrifying moments in New York’s Times Square: Knife-wielding woman kills 1 before fatal shooting