New York Times executive Jonathan McKinsey was fatally shot by his elderly in-laws at a park in California.
Court documents indicate that McKinsey,40, had been involved in a custody dispute with their daughter. The killing happened a week before a court hearing was scheduled in reference to McKinsey and his estranged wife Candice Jang’s divorce case.
Jang had reported McKinsey in 2023 for alleged child abuse, including shoving one of their children and using harsh physical discipline. In October 2025, she obtained an order of protection against McKinsey after he was charged with child abuse in a another case. He admitted to having slapped one of the child and he was also charged for child endangerment of another child. The couple has three children.
Meanwhile, McKinsey had filed for a protective order against Jang and a divorce. In the filing, he claimed that Chen had hurled LGBTQ+ slurs and accused Jang of being abusive during treatments related to his transition. McKinsey was a transgender man.
At the time of his death, he was seeking treatment in a mental health diversion program while out on bail.
On Saturday, McKinsey was shot at a sports complex in Dublin, CA. An officer who was nearby saw the deceased on the ground and soon after, several calls came into 911. The accused shooters were still near the scene.
The police arrested Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 76, on suspicion of murder and other crimes. They are due to appear in court on Wednesday.
McKinsey was the director of engineering for New York Times Games.
