Woman goes on stabbing spree in Times Square (VIDEOS)

A knife-wielding woman has stabbed at least two people in New York City’s Times Square before being shot by police, according to law-enforcement sources.

The violence erupted at around 4:27pm on Monday near West 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, one of the busiest intersections in Manhattan’s tourist district. The suspect, described by police as an “emotionally disturbed” woman, was armed with two knives and had been threatening people in the area before the attacks.

She stabbed at least two people before fleeing toward the NYPD substation in Times Square, where officers confronted her while she was still armed with the knives, according to police sources and footage from the scene.

Video from the scene shows officers repeatedly ordering the woman to drop the knives, but she continues to hold them as police surround her. Officers first deployed a Taser in an apparent attempt to subdue her, but when it failed to stop her, several shots were fired.

The suspect collapsed at the scene and was taken to hospital in critical condition. Two victims, a man and a woman, were also taken to hospital, while their conditions were not immediately clear.

Footage from the scene showed a heavy police presence as streets surrounding the area were cordoned off, with the NYPD warning of traffic delays, road closures and disruptions to public transport while investigators worked at the scene.

Police have not yet publicly identified the suspect or her alleged victims, and the circumstances leading up to the stabbing remain under investigation.