New York Times Executive's Death Linked to Transgender Identity, In-Law Dispute, Court Documents Reveal
Jonathan McKinsey, the Times' head of engineering for games player experience, was allegedly shot by his elderly in-laws amid a contentious relationship.
A New York Times tech executive who was allegedly shot and killed by his elderly in-laws in California had been embroiled in a conflict with them and his wife over his transgender identity, according to court documents. Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was gunned down in the parking lot of the Dublin Sports Grounds on Saturday afternoon.
His in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, were arrested moments later and accused of murder. The documents claim that McKinsey transitioned from female to male in 2010, a year before marrying his wife, Candice Jang.
In a restraining order petition filed in December 2025, McKinsey alleged that his mother-in-law, Chen, had called him a “disgusting queer” and a “pervert.” The dispute reportedly extended to arguments over one of their children’s choice of clothing.
McKinsey also claimed that his wife, Jang, attempted to pull medical tubes from his body after he underwent a procedure related to his transition. The court filings also indicated that McKinsey had accused Jang of verbal abuse towards their children and alleged a domestic violence incident in 2018 where McKinsey bruised her arm.
In a separate legal matter in 2025, McKinsey was charged with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse by Alameda prosecutors. Jang had reported to Dublin police that McKinsey had struck their six-year-old son. Investigators also found their two-year-old child alone in an upstairs room while McKinsey was reportedly out shopping. McKinsey pleaded not guilty to these charges and was released on the condition that he complete parenting classes.
A spokesperson for The New York Times confirmed McKinsey was the victim of the shooting and had been employed by the newspaper since 2023, serving as its head of engineering for games player experience.