New York Times executive Jonathan McKinsey was fatally shot Saturday afternoon in Dublin, California, in a case that police say involved his 77-year-old in-laws and unfolded amid a contentious family court dispute.
Police were called to Dublin Sports Grounds shortly after 3 p.m. on September 26 following reports of gunfire. Officers found McKinsey, 40, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses described hearing several shots before seeing McKinsey on the ground. One witness, Assad Razawi, told KGO-TV that he saw the victim with injuries to his head and chest. Another witness said her father saw a married couple walking away from the area shortly after the shooting.
Police later arrested Shouyong Zhang, 77, and Shili Chen, 77. The couple were identified as McKinsey’s parents-in-law and were being held at Santa Rita Jail, according to Dublin police.
Authorities have charged both suspects with first-degree murder, as well as felony conspiracy, willful discharge of a firearm with gross negligence and child endangerment.
The shooting came as McKinsey and his wife, Candice Jang, were involved in an ongoing child custody and domestic violence legal dispute. Court records show that Jang was granted a temporary restraining order against McKinsey last year. McKinsey subsequently filed for divorce in December, with a court hearing scheduled for the following month.
The family court proceedings continued into this year. In August, a judge approved the appointment of a private child custody evaluator, according to court documents.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting and how the family court dispute may have related to the killing remain part of the criminal investigation. The charges against Zhang and Chen are allegations, and the case will proceed through the court system.
McKinsey was a technology executive at The New York Times, where he served as head of engineering for games and player experiences. The Times confirmed his employment and said he had worked at the company since 2023.
Before joining the newspaper, McKinsey studied computer science. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and later completed a master’s degree in computer science at the University of California, Berkeley.
His death has brought a workplace tragedy into an already complex family court case, with investigators now examining the events that led to the shooting and the relationship between the people involved.
The arrests mean the investigation has quickly moved into the court process, but many details surrounding the shooting have yet to be established publicly. Prosecutors will have to prove the allegations against Zhang and Chen as the case develops.
