A New York Times engineering director was fatally shot by his in-laws Saturday, September 26, 2026, in Dublin, California. Newly released details reveal the possible circumstances behind the killing of Jonathan McKinsey, 40, including a restraining order, a pending divorce, a child custody battle, child abuse, and domestic violence.

Fatal Shooting

It was a clear, sunny day in the Bay Area on Saturday. Around 3 p.m. that afternoon, in the city of Dublin in Alameda County, a police officer found McKinsey lying on the ground of a sports complex with multiple gunshot wounds. The head of engineering and games player experiences for the Times was pronounced dead at the scene.

His death comes amid an ongoing domestic and child abuse legal battle involving his wife Candice Jang and their child. Multiple witness calls to the incident came in waves to the Dublin police. Police found two suspects and arrested them in connection with the crime. They later identified the suspects as McKinsey’s in-laws: Shouyong Zhang, 77, and Shili Chen, 77.

Child Custody Battle

Court documents show that McKinsey and his wife were battling for custody of their child at the time of his death. Jang was granted a petition for a domestic violence temporary restraining order against her husband last year, and McKinsey filed for divorce that December. They were supposed to appear in court next month to finalize their divorce.

In August, the pair were approved to hire a private child custody evaluator, who would assess the family’s dynamics and provide an objective recommendation to the judge on custody arrangements. While the judge makes the final decision, they heavily consider the evaluator’s report. 

The reason for hiring a private child custody evaluator instead of accepting a court staff member is that it allows for a specialized focus on the family and the child’s needs. They are often licensed professionals such as psychologists or clinical social workers. 

Finding a Motive

McKinsey’s in-laws, Zhang and Chen, are currently in custody at Santa Rita Jail and face charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit a crime, and child abuse. While the motive remains unclear, a legal expert weighed in, suggesting it was deeply personal.

“This has all the aspects of a deeply personal revenge-type killing,” Steven Clark, a legal expert, said. “It’s going to be important for law enforcement to dig deep into the relationship between these parties and the victim’s wife.”

Series of Domestic Violence

However, both sides have accused the other of domestic violence. McKinsey, a transgender man, alleged that there have been 15 years of abuse from his estranged wife. He accused her in court filings of hitting him with a frying pan in 2013 and abusing him during his gender transition. 

He also filed claims against his in-laws, saying his father-in-law punched him in the chest during his recovery in 2010 and his mother-in-law would shout anti-LGBTQ+ slurs at him and one of their children.

McKinsey was charged, though, in 2025 with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse after he was accused of hitting his 6-year-old son in the face and leaving his 2-year-old home alone for over an hour. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was scheduled to appear in court next week.

“Whether the parents had reached out and tried to stop the alleged abuse, and whether this was their only means of taking action. Certainly, you cannot take the law into your own hands like this, but that could play a factor in how this case plays out,” Clark said.

Couple to be Arraigned

The suspects will be arraigned Wednesday and were also charged with child abuse since the shooting happened in a public space where children were and put at risk of catching a stray bullet.

McKinsey received his bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech before achieving a master’s degree in computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He has worked for the Times since January 2023, when he joined the engineering team. He was promoted in December 2025 to head of engineering and the director of engineering for games player experience.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, confidential help is available 24/7. You can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), texting “START” to 88788, or chatting online at TheHotline.org.