A 32‑year‑old woman was killed and another is in hospital following a stabbing in Times Square, New York City late on Wednesday afternoon.

The suspect, wielding two knives, was shot by police. All three individuals were taken to hospital. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed at a news conference that the female victim and the suspect were later pronounced dead.

Mamdani noted the second victim was in a "stable condition" and thanked NYPD officers for averting a "horrific attack from becoming even worse".

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the incident as an "unprovoked double stabbing" that occurred within approximately 20 seconds of each other.

The NYPD call centre received several 911 calls around 16:24 local time, reporting a woman armed with two knives stabbing people along Seventh Avenue in Times Square. The attack began near West 41st Street and Seventh Avenue.

Tisch said the suspect approached a man who had just exited the subway and was standing with his wife waiting to cross the street. "A witness at the scene told investigators that she removed two knives from a red Target bag before approaching the first victim," she recounted.

The suspect waved the knives before stabbing a 68‑year‑old man in the right side of his abdomen in what appeared to be a random attack. The 68‑year‑old was taken to Bellevue Hospital and is now stable.

The suspect continued on Seventh Avenue toward 42nd Street, where she stabbed a second victim who later died in hospital. Police attempted to get her to drop her weapons, speaking to her for four minutes. "During the encounter, she told the officers 'I'm not dropping anything, I'd rather kill both of you'" Tisch reported.

When police waved knives toward officers, they used Tasers, which proved ineffective and did not stop her from moving toward them. Consequently, officers shot the woman, who was later pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

The suspect was identified as 49‑year‑old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, New York. She had never been arrested but had a documented mental‑health history with the NYPD, including incidents in 2018 and 2019.

A Boston tourist, Melinda Puzon, told CBS News that she heard the shots and saw "so many people on the street". "It's very shocking," she added.