Incident Overview
A woman was shot by police in Times Square on Monday afternoon after she allegedly stabbed two people, according to the New York Police Department. The shooting occurred near West 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue, close to the NYPD's Times Square substation and the entrance to the Times Square-42 Street subway station, just before 4:30 m.
The NYPD said the woman, who appeared to be emotionally disturbed, was threatening people with two knives in the area of Seventh Avenue and West 42nd Street. Police sources indicated she stabbed a man and a woman before officers arrived. When officers confronted her near the substation, she refused to drop the knives, and police opened fire.
Victim Fatalities and Injuries
The woman who was shot and one of the stabbing victims were pronounced dead, according to sources close to the investigation. One victim, described as a tourist, was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she died. The condition of the second stabbing victim was not immediately released. Other reports indicated that the woman and the two victims were hospitalized in critical condition, though the fatality was later confirmed.
Police Response and Video Evidence
Video provided to AM New York showed the woman holding what appeared to be a knife in a standoff with police. At least four officers were shown attempting to calm her and get her to drop the weapon. At one point, officers deployed Tasers, which struck the woman. She momentarily flailed, then extended her arm with the weapon and walked toward officers, leading at least one officer to fire. The NYPD said the suspect's weapon was recovered, and a photo captured an officer holding a large kitchen knife near the scene.
Investigation and Public Warning
The NYPD immediately launched an investigation and advised the public to avoid the area around West 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue, warning of traffic delays, road closures, and mass transit disruptions. Police were closing traffic from West 42nd to West 47th Street as the investigation continued. The attacks did not appear to be terror-related, according to sources. The suspect's identity was not immediately released.
The shooting comes amid a series of violent incidents in Times Square. Days earlier, an MTA cleaner was stabbed after confronting a man urinating on a subway platform, and earlier that morning, the NYPD publicized a search for a suspect in another stabbing at the Times Square subway station. In June, a man was slashed and a 17-year-old opened fire during a dispute in the area.
The investigation remains active as authorities work to piece together the events leading to the shooting.