A woman armed with two knives fatally stabbed another woman and critically wounded a man in Times Square Monday afternoon before she was shot and killed by police after allegedly refusing officers’ commands to drop the weapons, according to the NYPD.
The stabbing victim and the suspected attacker both later died from their injuries, police sources said.
A male victim who was also stabbed during the attack remained hospitalized in critical condition, according to police.
Authorities said the incident unfolded at approximately 4:26 p.m. near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, in the heart of Times Square. Police described the suspect as a woman who appeared to be emotionally disturbed and said she was threatening people while carrying two knives.
The woman allegedly attacked the male and female victims before running north toward the NYPD substation in Times Square, authorities said.
Officers confronted the armed woman near the substation and ordered her to put down the knives, but police said she refused to comply.
Approximately one minute after the stabbing was reported, at 4:27 p.m., officers opened fire, striking the woman.
Emergency personnel rushed to treat those injured in the violence. The female stabbing victim and the woman shot by police were subsequently pronounced dead, while the wounded man was listed in critical condition.
The incident was initially reported to authorities as a robbery involving a knife. Investigators, however, later said they did not believe robbery was the motive.
Police now believe the woman was emotionally disturbed and said investigators have not identified any clear motive for the attack.
The violence prompted a major police response in one of Manhattan’s busiest tourist districts as investigators worked to secure the scene and determine exactly what led to the deadly confrontation.
Authorities closed traffic between West 42nd Street and West 47th Street while the investigation remained underway.
{Matzav.com}
