NYT Executive Killed by In-Laws During Supervised Child Visit, Prosecutors Say
Authorities allege Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen shot Jonathan McKinsey in a California parking lot while he was meeting his children.
A New York Times executive was fatally shot by his in-laws in a California parking lot during a supervised visit with his children, prosecutors have stated. Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was allegedly killed by Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, on September 26 in the parking area of Dublin Sports Ground in Dublin, California.
During a plea hearing for the in-laws on Monday, prosecutors indicated that McKinsey was present at the location to meet his children for the supervised visit when the shooting occurred. Witnesses reportedly described the couple taking turns firing at McKinsey.
Zhang and Chen have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. However, McKinsey's defense attorney, Curtis Briggs, alleged outside the courtroom on Monday that McKinsey had previously threatened to hire a hitman to harm his mother-in-law, Shili Chen. Briggs stated that the couple purchased firearms in March 2026 out of fear of their son-in-law and that the weapons were intended for protection.
Court documents also reveal that McKinsey had previously threatened to murder his wife, Candice Jang, and her parents. According to a custody filing from August, Jang stated that during their marriage, she and the children learned to avoid provoking McKinsey to prevent his anger. McKinsey and Jang married in 2010, and she filed for divorce and a restraining order in 2025, with McKinsey filing a similar order in response.
McKinsey, who was transgender, was a participant in a contentious custody battle with Jang. Court documents indicate that McKinsey had given his children a book about a young girl whose mother had died, a detail highlighted by his wife in legal filings.