A woman armed with knives was fatally shot by New York City police on Monday after authorities say she launched a violent attack in Times Square, leaving one person dead and another critically wounded.
The woman, whose name was not immediately released, allegedly stabbed a female victim and a man shortly before 4:30 p.m. near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, one of Manhattan’s busiest intersections, sources told the New York Post.
After the stabbings, she reportedly ran north toward the NYPD substation in Times Square, where officers moved in and confronted her.
Video captured at the scene showed the woman holding large knives in both hands as NYPD officers closed in, while panicked tourists screamed and scattered through the crowded area.
The suspect, seen wearing a pink T-shirt, jeans and a cross-body bag, then charged toward police, prompting multiple officers to open fire and strike her several times, causing her to collapse.
The woman and both stabbing victims were taken to a hospital in critical condition. The suspect and one of the victims, identified only as a female tourist, were later pronounced dead, according to AMNY.
Investigators recovered the weapon at the scene, and photos showed officers carrying what appeared to be a large kitchen knife.
Police initially responded to a report of a knifepoint robbery in Times Square on Monday afternoon, though authorities now believe the woman behind the attack may not have had a clear motive.
A knife-wielding woman was shot by police in the middle of Times Square as hundreds of terrified tourists watched on. She stabbed a man and a woman before shots rang out
The woman and her two victims have since been rushed to a local hospital in critical condition
The incident had initially been reported as a knifepoint robbery, but officers now believe the emotionally-disturbed woman had no clear motive for the attack, ABC 7 reports.
A witness at the scene said he recorded the moment with his smart glasses and that the woman was allegedly armed with two knives.
‘She ran by me at the corner and she had two knives in her hands,’ they told PIX11.
‘She ran down, the cops went by, they surrounded her, talked to her for like five minutes.’
The person said the woman was tased by officers, but when she rushed toward them, officers shot her with a gun.
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‘They shot her twice,’ the witness told the outlet.
Construction worker Jorge Disla also told the New York Daily News how he was heading home when he came upon the scene and recorded on his phone as the woman swung a knife in each hand.
‘The police tried to speak with her,’ he recounted. ‘They were shouting “Drop the knives!”‘
The NYPD has urged people to avoid the area while they investigate
Blood is seen in Times Square, where officers opened fire on a woman accused of stabbing two people
Chaos unfolded in one of New York City’s busiest tourist destinations on Monday afternoon
Witness Linda Ruiz also shared what she saw in the moments before police arrived on scene.
‘I saw a guy bleeding profusely from his right leg,’ she told the Daily News. ‘He was gushing blood, saying “I need help. Help me.”‘
‘I went to get a cop on the corner and there was another lady on the floor,’ Ruiz continued. ‘She was stabbed in the back or in the chest, I couldn’t tell.
‘There was a lot of blood,’ Ruiz noted. ‘She wasn’t conscious. The police were trying to resuscitate her, but she wasn’t moving. It was horrible.’
The NYPD has urged people to avoid the area while they investigate.
Sources told PIX11 that they don’t believe the incident is terror-related.
The incident comes about two weeks after a 54-year-old man was fatally shot by NYPD officers after he ran toward them with a butcher’s knife.
At the time, officers were responding to reports of an assault inside a building on the Lower East Side.
Breaking news, updates to follow.
