Elderly Couple Arrested in Slaying of New York Times Executive
Authorities are investigating potential motives including child abuse allegations and claims of anti-transgender remarks made by the victims.
An elderly couple, Shouyong Zhang, 77, and Shili Chen, 77, have been arrested and charged with murder in the shooting death of Jonathan McKinsey, 40, the head of engineering for games at The New York Times. The incident occurred Saturday in a parking lot at Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California.
McKinsey sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses reported seeing two masked individuals approach McKinsey and fire multiple shots before they calmly walked away. Police apprehended Zhang and Chen, described as McKinsey's in-laws, after stunned witnesses flagged down a nearby sergeant. They were taken into custody and are being held without bail on charges including murder, felony conspiracy, child endangerment, and dangerous gun firing.
The motive for the killing remains unclear, but authorities are exploring several avenues. Court documents reveal allegations of child and domestic abuse involving McKinsey. McKinsey's wife, Candice Jang, previously accused him of striking their six-year-old son and of past violence against her. McKinsey, who was transgender, also claimed in court filings that his in-laws made derogatory remarks about his gender identity, including anti-LGBTQ+ slurs directed at him and their child.
McKinsey had faced misdemeanor charges for child endangerment and corporal injury to a child stemming from a 2018 incident where a child was found unattended while he was out shopping. At the time of his death, he was attempting to enter a mental health diversion program that would have led to the dismissal of those charges upon completion.
Conversely, McKinsey alleged in court documents that Jang had been abusive for over 15 years, including an incident where she allegedly beat him with a frying pan. He also claimed Jang's mother (Chen) was verbally abusive toward their child and him, and that Jang was abusive during medical procedures related to his transition. Jang's father was also accused of punching McKinsey after a double mastectomy.
McKinsey filed for divorce from Jang in December, and the couple was involved in ongoing child custody litigation, with a court hearing scheduled for the day after his death.
Captain Michael Campos of Dublin Police Services stated that the investigation is examining motives from all angles, including the histories and relationships of everyone involved. A spokesman for The New York Times confirmed McKinsey's employment since 2023. Zhang and Chen's arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday.