Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old executive at the New York Times, was allegedly shot and killed by his in-laws, Shouyong Zhang, 77, and Shili Chen, 77, in a parking lot at Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California, on Saturday afternoon. According to court documents, McKinsey had previously threatened to kill his wife, Candice Jang, and his in-laws. Jang stated in an August custody filing that she and their children learned to avoid provoking McKinsey due to his anger. The couple married in 2010, and Jang filed for divorce in 2025, citing abuse towards her and their children, aged 3, 5, and 7.
Jang claimed McKinsey had given their children a book about a girl mourning her mother, which she found disturbing given his prior threats. She expressed concerns about McKinsey's behavior and his tendency to blame others for problems. McKinsey had filed for divorce last year, and the couple was engaged in a custody battle, with Jang having filed a restraining order against him. McKinsey was charged with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse but was released on the condition of attending parenting classes.
The couple was scheduled to appear in court for custody matters on the Friday before the shooting. The police are investigating the family conflict as a possible motive for the incident.