A woman armed with knives was fatally shot by New York City police on Monday after authorities said she launched a violent stabbing attack in Times Square that left one person dead.
The woman, who had not been publicly identified, allegedly stabbed a female victim and a male victim shortly before 4.30pm near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, one of Manhattan’s busiest tourist corridors, sources told the New York Post.
After the attack, she reportedly ran north in the direction of an NYPD substation, where responding officers moved in and confronted her.
Footage captured at the scene appeared to show the woman holding large knives in both hands as at least six NYPD officers encircled her, several with guns drawn, while panicked tourists screamed and rushed through the crowded Times Square area.
The suspect, seen wearing a pink T-shirt, jeans and a cross-body bag, then began swinging her arms in wide motions. Moments later, an officer moved toward her before one gunshot rang out, followed quickly by two more.
Still, the woman charged at cops, prompting officers to fire two more times.
The video then ended with the woman lying on the ground as officers race to handcuff her, before apparently realizing she was shot and beginning CPR.
The woman and her two victims were then rushed to the hospital in critical condition, where the suspect and one of her victims, a female tourist, were pronounced dead, according to AMNY.
Meanwhile, authorities recovered the woman’s weapon, with photos from the scene showing officers carrying a large kitchen knife.
Police responded to a report about a knifepoint robbery in Times Square on Monday afternoon, but authorities now believe the woman responsible did not have a clear motive for the attack
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.
‘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!”‘
Blood is seen in Times Square, where officers opened fire on a woman accused of stabbing two people
NYPD officers investigate the scene where an officer-involved shooting left one dead
The NYPD has urged people to avoid the area while they investigate
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.