Police shoot and kill woman after stabbing attack at Times Square

Police in New York shot and later fatally wounded a 49-year-old woman after she stabbed two people in the Times Square area, authorities said. A 32-year-old woman died from her injuries and a 68-year-old man was wounded.

Sequence of events and police response

The incident occurred yesterday afternoon at about 4:30 p.m. local time, near a New York Police Department station at Times Square. Police say the 49-year-old woman from Queens produced two knives from a bag and first stabbed the 68-year-old man while he waited at a crosswalk.

Approximately twenty seconds later, the assailant moved toward 42nd Street and attacked a 32-year-old woman, inflicting stab wounds to her abdomen. Both victims were taken to hospital, where the 32-year-old succumbed to her injuries.

Officers initially tried to persuade the woman to drop the knives. According to the NYPD, she refused to disarm and threatened officers. Police deployed stun guns, which did not subdue her. She advanced toward officers with the knives in her hands, after which two officers fired at her. She was transported to hospital and died there.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the attack as random and unprovoked and said the attacker had a history of mental-health problems but had no prior arrests. Authorities have not released the identities of the victims. The investigation into the motive is ongoing, and there are currently no indications the incident was related to terrorism.

Times Square is one of New York’s most visited tourist attractions and is located in the heart of Manhattan.

Photo: press material from the event