DUBLIN, Calif. (AP) — A California couple has been charged with murder after authorities say they fatally shot their son-in-law in a public park, days before he and the couple’s daughter were scheduled for a hearing in a contentious divorce case.
Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, face murder charges, including allegations of lying in wait and using a firearm. They were detained by police at the scene, Dublin Police Services said in a news release. Prosecutors stated that Zhang admitted to shooting Jonathan McKinsey, 40, during an interview, and a firearm was recovered from his vehicle that he admitted to using.
Surveillance video also reportedly shows Chen and Zhang shooting McKinsey in "concert," according to prosecutors.
The shooting occurred in the parking lot of a sports complex in Dublin, east of San Francisco. A police sergeant, who was driving nearby, observed McKinsey on the ground as witnesses began calling 911 and identifying the couple, who were still in their vehicle near the scene.
Court records indicate McKinsey’s killing took place during a difficult divorce and custody dispute with his wife, Candice Jang, and her parents. In petitions for restraining orders filed last year, McKinsey and Jang accused each other of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse. McKinsey, who is transgender, alleged that both Jang and her parents made abusive remarks regarding his gender transition. He further claimed that Chen directed anti-LGBTQ slurs at him and their oldest child, and that Jang was abusive during his medical procedures.
McKinsey had faced his own legal troubles. He was arrested in October and charged with misdemeanor child abuse for allegedly striking their oldest son. He also faced a child endangerment charge after deputies found their 2-year-old home alone. McKinsey pleaded not guilty to these charges, alleging he was set up by his wife. At the time of his death, he was out on bail and attempting to enter a mental health diversion program.
Jang had obtained a domestic violence protection order against McKinsey in October, accusing him of physical and emotional abuse, including an incident where she claimed he pushed their oldest son and another where she alleged he caused her to fracture a vertebra in 2010. McKinsey filed his own request for a domestic violence protection order against Jang in December, alleging years of abuse, including being hit with a frying pan.
McKinsey, director of engineering for New York Times Games, joined the newspaper in January 2023. A spokesperson for The New York Times declined to comment further.