California Couple Charged With Murder in Son-in-Law's Shooting

A California couple has been charged with murder for allegedly shooting their son-in-law to death in a public park, days before he and their daughter were scheduled for a hearing in a contentious divorce and custody case. Authorities say Shili Chen, 77, and Shouyong Zhang, 77, killed Jonathan McKinsey, 40, in the parking lot of a Dublin sports complex.

Fatal Encounter

A police sergeant driving nearby witnessed the shooting on Saturday, observing McKinsey on the ground as witnesses pointed out the couple, who remained in their vehicle near the scene, according to a Dublin Police Services news release. Officers detained Chen and Zhang as they attempted to drive away and found a gun in Chen's possession. Prosecutors stated that Zhang admitted to shooting McKinsey and identified another firearm found in the car as the weapon used in the crime. Surveillance video also reportedly shows both Chen and Zhang shooting McKinsey.

Chen and Zhang face murder charges, with additional allegations of lying in wait and using a firearm. They were due in court for an arraignment on Wednesday.

Contentious Divorce and Custody Battle

Court records indicate McKinsey's killing occurred amidst a bitter divorce and custody dispute with his daughter, Candice Jang. Petitions for restraining orders filed last year by both parties detailed accusations of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse spanning over a decade. McKinsey, who is transgender, alleged that Jang and her parents subjected him and his oldest child to verbal and physical abuse related to his gender transition. He further claimed that Chen directed anti-LGBTQ slurs at him and his eldest child and that Zhang punched him during his recovery from double mastectomy surgery.

McKinsey was arrested in October on misdemeanor child abuse charges for allegedly striking their oldest son, an act he acknowledged. Prosecutors also charged him with endangering their youngest child after deputies found the 2-year-old home alone when responding to a call. McKinsey pleaded not guilty, alleging his wife had set him up. At the time of his death, he was out on bail and seeking entry into a mental health diversion program.

Jang had obtained a domestic violence protection order against McKinsey in October, alleging that he had fractured her vertebra in 2010 during an argument and had pushed their oldest son hard in the head in 2023. She also accused McKinsey of emotionally abusing her mother. McKinsey, in turn, filed for his own protection order in December, alleging years of abuse, including Jang hitting him with a frying pan. He later filed for divorce, seeking more time with their three children. McKinsey had been granted unsupervised public visits with the children twice a week in late August, just a week before the scheduled court hearing.

McKinsey had joined The New York Times in January 2023 as the director of engineering for New York Times Games, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A spokesperson for the newspaper declined to comment further.