Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was shot dead by his 76‑year‑old in‑laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, at the parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California, on Saturday afternoon. Police say the shooting occurred around 3 p.m., and both in‑laws have been taken into custody on charges of murder.
McKinsey and his estranged wife, Candice Jang, had filed restraining orders against each other in Alameda County last year, citing domestic violence. Court records show McKinsey accused Jang and the in‑laws of abusive remarks tied to his transgender identity, while Jang alleged physical assaults by McKinsey on their children.
The New York Times reported that McKinsey’s claims included a mother‑in‑law calling him a “disgusting queer” and a father‑in‑law punching him during a 2010 recovery from double mastectomy surgery. These allegations stem from a long‑standing volatile relationship that had escalated into repeated violent incidents.
McKinsey’s career spanned nearly two decades in tech, with prior roles at Splunk, Coursera and Oracle. He joined the Times in 2023, but in 2025 he faced misdemeanor child‑abuse charges after a 2018 incident involving a six‑year‑old son, for which he pleaded not guilty and was released on parenting‑class bail.
The New York Times confirmed it had no involvement in the shooting and that the incident was an isolated crime. The county prosecutor’s office will schedule a preliminary hearing next month, and the case is expected to proceed to trial in early January.
Reaction from the Times’ leadership was swift: a spokesperson said McKinsey was a valued colleague and that the newsroom would support his family during the investigation.