NYT Engineer Killed; In-Laws Charged With Murder

Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old engineering director for New York Times Games, was shot and killed Saturday in the parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California. Police arrested his in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, on suspicion of murder. Witnesses described two masked shooters firing repeatedly before walking away calmly.

The killing followed a year of escalating legal conflict between McKinsey, his estranged wife Candice Jang, and her parents. Divorce proceedings began in December 2025 and involved disputes over finances and custody of their three children, aged 7, 5, and 3. Court filings show both parents accused each other of abuse and neglect.

“She called the young child a 'disgusting queer' and a 'pervert', and then called him the same names as she admonished him for being transgender”

McKinsey, a transgender man who transitioned in 2010, alleged in a 2023 restraining order request that Chen berated their son for wearing his sister's dresses and directed transphobic slurs at him. He also claimed Jang threatened to falsely report him for child abuse. Jang alleged McKinsey slapped their 6-year-old son in 2025 and left a 2-year-old unattended; McKinsey called the latter a setup.

Police have not disclosed a motive for the shooting. Zhang and Chen remain in custody facing murder charges; it is unclear if they have legal representation. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office will determine formal charges.