Woman with knife attacks two on Times Square, one dead, attacker shot by police

September 1, 2026 at 08:36 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A woman armed with two large kitchen knives attacked two pedestrians near Times Square in New York on Monday evening, August 31, killing a 32-year-old woman and wounding a 68-year-old man. Police first used stun guns, then opened fire, fatally wounding the attacker. The attacker had a documented history of mental illness, according to police.

Key Facts

The attack occurred around 4:30 p.m. local time at the intersection of 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue, near a police post.
The attacker was a 49-year-old woman who lived in the Queens borough of New York, according to dpa.
The 68-year-old male victim had just exited a subway station and was crossing the street with his wife when he was stabbed in the abdomen.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers tried for several minutes to persuade the attacker to drop the knife before using stun guns and then firearms.
The attacker had a documented history of mental health issues with the New York police, according to Commissioner Tisch.

The Attack

A 49-year-old woman armed with two large kitchen knives attacked pedestrians near Times Square on Monday evening, August 31. The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. local time at the intersection of 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue, near a police post. The attacker first stabbed a 68-year-old man in the abdomen as he exited a subway station with his wife. Seconds later, she attacked a 32-year-old woman, also stabbing her in the abdomen. Both victims were taken to a hospital, where the 32-year-old woman died from her injuries.

Police Response

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers tried for several minutes to persuade the attacker to drop the knife. The woman refused to comply and attempted to attack the officers, according to Tisch. Police first used stun guns, but they did not stop the attacker. Officers then opened fire, fatally wounding the woman. The attacker had a documented history of mental health issues with the New York police, Tisch said.