NEW YORK TIMES EXECUTIVE SHOT DEAD IN CALIFORNIA PARKING LOT — ELDERLY IN-LAWS ARRESTED

DUBLIN, Calif. — A 40-year-old engineering executive at The New York Times was fatally shot in a California sports complex parking lot over the weekend, and police arrested his elderly parents-in-law in connection with the killing.

Jonathan McKinsey was found with multiple gunshot wounds at the Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California, on Saturday afternoon, September 26. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police later arrested Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, a married couple identified as McKinsey’s in-laws. Although initial reports described them as 77, the Associated Press later corrected their ages to 76, based on records showing both were born on September 30, 1949.

POLICE FOUND MCKINSEY LYING IN THE PARKING LOT

According to Dublin Police Services, a police sergeant was driving near the Dublin Sports Grounds shortly after 3 p.m. when he spotted a man lying on the ground in the parking lot.

At roughly the same time, police dispatchers began receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting.

Officers arrived and found McKinsey suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses helped investigators identify two people who police said remained near the area after the shooting.

Officers subsequently detained Zhang and Chen, who were booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder. Police said they did not believe there were additional suspects and that there was no continuing threat to the public.

THE VICTIM WAS A NEW YORK TIMES ENGINEERING EXECUTIVE

McKinsey worked as the Head of Engineering for New York Times Games, according to a company spokesperson.

He joined The New York Times in January 2023 and was based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Before joining the newspaper, McKinsey worked in technology and engineering roles and had also taught computer science part time at Georgia Tech and the University of California, Berkeley, according to information from his professional profile.

A spokesperson for The New York Times confirmed McKinsey’s death but declined to provide additional details while the investigation remained active.

WITNESSES DESCRIBED A CHAOTIC SCENE

Several witnesses told Bay Area news outlets that they heard multiple gunshots and saw McKinsey fall to the ground.

CBS News Bay Area reported that witnesses said a masked man and woman were involved in the shooting. One witness alleged that the man fired first and then handed the firearm to the woman, who also fired.

Police have not publicly confirmed the witness account about which suspect fired the weapon. The investigation remains ongoing.

The shooting happened at a busy sports complex where families and young athletes were present, according to local reporting.

The Dublin Sports Grounds were temporarily closed while investigators processed the scene before later reopening.

MCKINSEY WAS INVOLVED IN A FAMILY AND CUSTODY DISPUTE

Court records reviewed by the Associated Press show that McKinsey and his wife, Candice Jang, had been involved in a contentious divorce and child-custody dispute.

The couple had married around 2012 and had three young children.

Court records indicate that Jang reported McKinsey to police in 2023, accusing him of physically mistreating one of their children and using rough discipline. McKinsey denied the allegations.

He later sought a domestic-violence protection order against Jang and filed for divorce.

At the time of his death, McKinsey was out on bail and was seeking greater visitation with his children. A court hearing in the divorce case had been scheduled for the following week.

Court records also contain allegations made by McKinsey concerning his in-laws and the family dispute. Those allegations remain part of the legal record and should not be treated as independently established facts.

POLICE HAVE NOT ANNOUNCED A FINAL MOTIVE

Authorities have not publicly established a definitive motive for the shooting.

The arrests came as investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the family dispute and the events that led to the fatal encounter at the sports complex.

Zhang and Chen face murder-related charges, along with additional charges reported in court records, including conspiracy and firearm-related offenses. Details surrounding some of the additional allegations have not been publicly explained by police.

The couple are expected to appear in court this week. It was not immediately clear whether they had retained attorneys.

The investigation remains active.

For The New York Times, the case has left the company mourning an employee who had spent more than three years helping lead engineering work behind one of its best-known digital products.

For investigators, meanwhile, the central questions remain what happened in the Dublin parking lot — and what led to the deadly confrontation between McKinsey and his wife’s parents.