Police in Dublin, California, have arrested the 77-year-old in-laws of a New York Times executive in connection with his fatal shooting on Saturday afternoon. Jonathan McKinsey, 40, who served as the Director of Engineering for New York Times Games, was killed in what witnesses described as a coordinated attack in a public parking lot.
The shooting occurred around 3:00 p.m. at the Dublin Sports Grounds. According to the City of Dublin, a police sergeant who was already in the vicinity was able to detain the suspects within minutes of the gunfire. The suspects have been identified as Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported a highly unusual and deliberate sequence of events. According to police reports, the two suspects were allegedly wearing masks and took turns firing at McKinsey. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The violence followed a period of intense domestic and legal turmoil. McKinsey and his wife, Candice Jang, were involved in a contentious divorce and child custody battle that included cross-restraining orders. At the time of his death, McKinsey was also facing criminal prosecution. He had been charged with child endangerment and corporal injury to a child following an incident in late 2025, charges to which he had pleaded not guilty.
McKinsey joined the New York Times in 2023, leading engineering teams for the company’s popular gaming division. His professional role stood in stark contrast to the escalating legal battles regarding his family life in the East Bay.
Zhang and Chen are currently being held without bail at the Santa Rita Jail. They are scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment on Wednesday, September 30. Local authorities have not yet confirmed how the elderly couple obtained the firearms used in the incident or whether the shooting was planned in direct response to the ongoing custody proceedings.
