A senior New York Times executive was shot dead by his 77-year-old in-laws

Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old engineering executive at The New York Times , was fatally shot Saturday afternoon in a busy parking lot in Dublin, California, with police later arresting his 77-year-old parents-in-law in connection with the killing.

Dublin Police Services said officers found McKinsey suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at Dublin Sports Grounds shortly after 3 p.m. on September 26. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A police sergeant had been driving near the sports complex when he spotted McKinsey lying in the parking lot, while dispatchers were receiving multiple 911 calls about the shooting. Dublin, CA+1

Authorities identified the suspects as Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen , a married couple who also live in Dublin. Both were arrested nearby within minutes with the help of witnesses and booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder.

Police said there are no outstanding suspects and no known threat to public safety. The motive remains under investigation.

Witnesses have provided additional details, although some accounts haven't been independently confirmed by police. Local reports said two masked people allegedly approached McKinsey and took turns shooting him.

One witness told KPIX that a man fired first before passing the gun to a woman, who allegedly continued shooting. Other witnesses then pointed officers toward the suspects as they remained nearby.

The shooting shocked residents because the sports complex was busy with families on a Saturday afternoon. Dublin police have since reopened the facility while detectives continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing.

Police investigate family legal dispute

McKinsey was the director of engineering for New York Times Games and had worked for the company since 2023. The Times confirmed his role, which involved engineering for its games operation.

Before joining the newspaper, he worked in technology and engineering and had an academic background in computer science.

His death came while he and his wife, Candice Jang , were involved in a contentious divorce and child custody dispute. Court records cited by news organizations show that both sides sought domestic violence protection orders in 2025, while McKinsey filed for divorce later that year. The couple had three children and remained involved in family court proceedings.

McKinsey had also faced misdemeanor child abuse charges involving allegations concerning his children. He pleaded not guilty, according to reports, and was released while the case continued. Court filings also contained allegations made by McKinsey concerning his wife and her mother.

Some reports have focused on allegations involving gender expression within the family. Those claims come from court documents and shouldn't be treated as an established explanation for the killing. Police haven't publicly identified a motive or connected the earlier family disputes to the shooting.

Zhang and Chen remain in custody as the investigation proceeds. Their court proceedings are expected to shed more light on the allegations against them, while detectives continue examining evidence and the events leading up to McKinsey's death.