Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old technology executive at The New York Times, was fatally shot on Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds in Alameda County, California. The suspects, identified as Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77 and parents of McKinsey’s estranged wife, were taken into custody on suspicion of murder.

According to Dublin police, the shooting occurred around 3 p.m. witnesses described seeing two masked individuals approach McKinsey and fire multiple rounds. Emergency responders arrived promptly, but McKinsey was pronounced dead at the scene.

McKinsey, who had been with The Times since 2023 as head of engineering for games player experience, previously worked at Oracle and UKG. He married Candice Jang, daughter of Zhang and Chen, in 2011. The couple were involved in a contentious divorce and child custody dispute, with a court hearing scheduled for the following Friday.

Court documents reveal a history of domestic and child abuse allegations against McKinsey. Jang accused him of physically assaulting her and one of their three children, including incidents that allegedly left bruises on her arm. She also expressed concern over McKinsey’s gifting of a book about a mother’s death to their children, interpreting it as distressing given prior threats he allegedly made against her and her parents. Both McKinsey and Jang submitted restraining order requests against each other in 2025, with Jang’s request filed first.

McKinsey had transitioned from female to male in 2010, a fact that his mother-in-law, Chen, reportedly disapproved of strongly, allegedly using derogatory language toward him, according to court records.

Investigators are exploring the family conflict and history of abuse allegations as potential motives for the shooting. Police have been interviewing Zhang and Chen, but details of their statements have not been released. Capt. Miguel Campos of Dublin Police Services stated that all possible motives are being considered as part of the ongoing investigation.

The New York Times confirmed McKinsey’s employment and acknowledged his death. Authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, with the motive remaining under investigation. Zhang and Chen remain held at Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail pending further legal action.