New York Times Tech Executive Fatally Shot by Elderly In-Laws in California Parking Lot
Authorities are investigating a potential motive for the daylight attack involving the executive, who had previously faced child abuse allegations.
A technology executive for The New York Times was fatally shot in a parking lot in Dublin, California, on Saturday by his elderly parents-in-law, according to police. Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, are accused of shooting Jonathan McKinsey, 40, the head of engineering for games player experience at the newspaper, in what authorities described as a broad daylight attack. McKinsey was found with multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing two masked individuals approach McKinsey and take turns firing shots before they were apprehended by a passing police officer. The couple allegedly walked away from the incident calmly before being arrested. Police have not yet publicly stated a motive for the shooting. Zhang and Chen have been booked into Alameda County's Santa Rita Jail and are being held without bail.
The charges filed against the couple include murder, felony conspiracy, child endangerment, and dangerously firing a gun. Court records indicate that McKinsey had been charged last year with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse in Alameda County. A probable cause declaration stated that a woman identified as McKinsey's wife alleged he had struck her six-year-old son and had previously been involved in a domestic violence incident in 2018, during which he allegedly caused bruises to her arm. In the 2018 incident, deputies responded to McKinsey's home and found a two-year-old child left unattended.
McKinsey pleaded not guilty to the child abuse allegations and had been released on bail with the condition that he complete 12 parenting classes. Authorities have not confirmed whether these past allegations are connected to the shooting.
The incident occurred around 3 p.m. in the parking lot of a Dublin sports facility. Witnesses described hearing multiple gunshots and seeing McKinsey fall to the ground, noting he was bleeding from his head and chest. Other witnesses observed a man and a woman, identified as the suspects, walking away from the scene. A police sergeant driving nearby noticed McKinsey on the ground, prompting a rapid response from officers.
McKinsey had been employed by The New York Times since 2023, leading the company's games platform development. Prior to joining the Times, he worked as an engineering manager at Splunk and studied at UC Berkeley. Zhang and Chen are scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday.