Dublin, Calif. — A married couple in their mid-70s was arrested after their son-in-law was fatally shot Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of a Dublin sports complex, authorities said.
Police identified the victim as 40-year-old Jonathan McKinsey. A nearby police sergeant saw McKinsey on the ground as witnesses called 911 and pointed to the couple, who remained close to the scene, Dublin Police Services said. Officers later arrested 76-year-olds Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen on suspicion of murder and related charges; court records show the pair share a Sept. 30, 1949, birthday.
This photo taken with a smartphone shows solar panels covering a parking lot at Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, Calif., Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)(AP Photo/Terry Chea)
According to court documents and local reporting, McKinsey had been engaged in a bitter custody dispute with his wife, Candice Jang. The couple, who had been married around 2012, had three young children.
Records reviewed by reporters show the family conflict dated back to at least 2023, when Jang reported that McKinsey had shoved one child and used rough physical discipline. In October, Jang obtained a domestic violence protection order after McKinsey was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor child-abuse offense in a separate incident. Police at the time said McKinsey acknowledged slapping one child and was also charged with endangering another. At the time of the shooting, McKinsey was out on bail and had been attempting to enter a mental health diversion program, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
This photo taken with a smartphone shows a sculpture and playground at Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, Calif., Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)(AP Photo/Terry Chea)
McKinsey responded to his wife's filings by seeking his own domestic violence protection order and filing for divorce. Court records indicate he later sought increased parenting time after being limited to two hours of supervised visits per week since the previous fall.
In his filings, McKinsey, who was transgender, alleged that Chen used anti-LGBTQ+ slurs toward him and one of the couple's children and also accused Jang of abusive behavior during medical procedures related to his transition. These allegations appear in court documents and media reporting and have not been adjudicated.
McKinsey joined The New York Times in January 2023 and was listed as director of engineering for New York Times Games, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A New York Times spokesperson declined further comment.
Investigation ongoing: Zhang and Chen were scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. It was not immediately clear whether either suspect had retained legal counsel; phone numbers listed for their daughter, Candice Jang, were disconnected.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances that led to the confrontation in the parking area. The report was later corrected to reflect that both Zhang and Chen are 76, not 77.
