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A WOMAN stabbed at least two people, killing one, in New York’s Times Square on Aug 31 before she was shot dead by police after allegedly refusing to drop two knives, according to people familiar with the incident.
The condition of the second victim was not immediately known.
Aliou Diaye, a 62-year-old vendor, said he witnessed the attack shortly before 4.30pm near Seventh Avenue and West 41st Street, one of the busiest areas of Times Square.
“She didn’t say nothing,” The New York Times quoted Diaye saying. “She walked up to her. She stabbed her in the stomach.”
Diaye said the victim collapsed on the pavement while he and a friend called 911. The woman in the pink shirt then headed north.
Police confronted her near West 43rd Street, close to a New York Police Department substation.
Videos circulating from the scene showed the woman holding a knife in each hand as several officers surrounded her in a tense stand-off, while vehicles and pedestrians continued moving through the area.
In one video, officers can be heard repeatedly shouting “tase her” as the woman continued holding the knives.
The woman was subsequently seen moving towards officers. Two or three gunshots were heard before she fell to the ground.
Another video, filmed from behind the officers, showed at least seven police officers surrounding the woman, with the bright billboards of Times Square visible in the background.
A separate video showed the woman lying on the pavement as blood spread around her while officers appeared to provide medical assistance. Paramedics later transported her on a stretcher.
The circumstances leading to the stabbing, including whether the victims knew the woman, were not immediately clear.
The incident occurred in the afternoon at one of New York’s busiest tourist destinations, where large crowds of pedestrians and heavy traffic remained nearby during the confrontation.
Police are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding both the stabbing and the use of deadly force. - September 1, 2026
