Fundraiser for Baby Daughter of Times Square Stabbing Victim Erin Piacenti Surpasses $500,000

NEW YORK – A heartbreaking tragedy has sparked an extraordinary display of generosity. A GoFundMe campaign established to support the five-month-old daughter of Erin Piacenti, the 32-year-old Bank of America executive stabbed to death in Times Square on August 31, has raised more than $501,000 from over 5,000 donors in just three days .

The fundraiser, which initially had a goal of $250,000, was quickly expanded after thousands of people from across the country chipped in to help the little girl who will grow up without her mother . The single largest contribution so far has been a $10,000 donation .

'Becoming a Mother Was Erin's Lifelong Ambition'

Erin Piacenti was killed on what was supposed to be a day of celebration — her first day back at work after a five-month maternity leave following the birth of her daughter, Madison . She and her husband, Frank Piacenti, had just returned from a family road trip through Maine and Rhode Island and were ready to settle into life with their new baby when tragedy struck .

"Becoming a mother was Erin's lifelong ambition, and Madison gave her the greatest possible joy," wrote Shray Gupta, the fundraiser's organizer who identified himself as Frank Piacenti's brother-in-law . "Funds raised will be dedicated to supporting Madison as she grows up surrounded by the family, friends, stories, and memories that will allow her to know just how remarkable her mother was" .

The campaign offers friends, coworkers, and others touched by Piacenti's story "a way to honor Erin by helping care for the daughter she loved more than anything" .

The Attack

The stabbing occurred around 4:30 p.m. near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, in one of the busiest and most heavily policed areas of New York City — just outside the building that hosts the annual New Year's Eve ball drop and next to a police substation .

According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the suspect, 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros of Queens, pulled two knives from a shopping bag and first stabbed a 68-year-old man from Rhode Island who was standing with his wife . Twenty seconds later, she approached Piacenti and stabbed her in the abdomen in what police described as a "random and unprovoked" attack .

Piacenti was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital .

Police Confrontation

Cisneros fled north toward the NYPD substation, where witnesses flagged down officers who confronted her for approximately four minutes . Officers gave her numerous commands to drop the knives, which she refused .

"During the encounter, she told the officers, 'I'm not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you.' She repeated, 'I will kill you,'" Tisch said .

Police first deployed Tasers before two officers discharged their service weapons when Cisneros charged at them while brandishing the knives . She was also pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital .

A Life of Achievement

Piacenti was a vice president at Bank of America's business selection and conflicts team, where in her 18 months at the company she earned a reputation as "a trusted partner" and "a cherished teammate and friend," according to President Matthew Koder .

She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied political science and sang in an a cappella group, the Penn Dischord . Her solo performances — "Love Me Harder" and "Break Free" by Ariana Grande, and "Hold My Hand" by Jess Glynne — remain posted to the group's YouTube channel .

Piacenti later earned her law degree magna cum laude from Fordham University School of Law, where she met her husband, a fellow student, and was inducted into the school's Order of the Coif . She started her career as a buyer at Bloomingdale's before moving to the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell and then Bank of America .

Suspect's Mental Health History

Cisneros had a "documented mental health history" with the NYPD, with encounters in 2018 and 2019 but no arrest record in New York City . Her brother, Patrick Peralta, told the New York Post that she had psychiatric problems for decades and suffered from postpartum depression after the birth of her second child .

"She never showed any aggressiveness or being violent," Peralta said . He noted that she had been stable in recent years due to medication and seemed "fine" as recently as the Saturday before the attack .

The New York Attorney General's office has opened an investigation into the officer-involved shooting, as required under state law .

A Community's Embrace

The GoFundMe has drawn donations ranging from a few dollars to thousands, with over 16 discrete donations of more than $1,000 . As of Friday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than $800,000 and continues to climb .

"As a new mom of an 8-month-old, I am heartbroken for Frank and Erin's family," wrote one donor. "May Madison be surrounded forever by the people who knew and loved her mother. I am keeping her in my prayers that she feels her mother's love for her still, and always" .

The funds will go directly to Frank Piacenti to support Madison, Gupta confirmed . The family has consulted with Gupta about the campaign, which was described as providing financial security for the baby who will grow up surrounded by the stories and memories that will allow her to know how remarkable her mother was .