Dublin, California: A 40-year-old engineer working for The New York Times was shot dead at a sports facility in Dublin, California, with police arresting his elderly in-laws in connection with the killing, AP reported.
Court records suggest the incident took place against the backdrop of a prolonged divorce and child-custody dispute involving the victim and his wife.
Jonathan McKinsey was found wounded in the parking area of a sports complex on Saturday afternoon. The facility is located in Dublin, a city east of San Francisco.
A police sergeant who was driving through the area noticed McKinsey lying on the ground. Witnesses were calling emergency services and reportedly directed officers towards an elderly couple who were still close to the scene, Dublin Police Services said.
Police arrested Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, on suspicion of murder and other offences. The couple, who live in Dublin, were expected to be produced before a court on Wednesday morning.
It was not immediately known whether Zhang or Chen had hired lawyers. Attempts to reach their daughter, Candice Jang, were unsuccessful because phone numbers listed for her had been disconnected.
Dispute Over Children
The shooting took place roughly one week before a scheduled hearing in McKinsey’s divorce proceedings with Jang. Court records show that the couple married around 2012 and had three young children.
Jang contacted police in 2023 and accused McKinsey of pushing one of their children. She also alleged that he used excessive physical discipline with the children.
In October last year, Jang secured a domestic-violence protection order against McKinsey. The order followed his arrest and a misdemeanour child-abuse charge in a separate case.
According to police, McKinsey admitted slapping one of the children. He was also charged with placing another child in danger. The San Jose Mercury News reported that he was out on bail when he was killed and had been seeking admission to a mental-health diversion programme.
McKinsey denied the allegations in court filings and sought a protection order against Jang. He also filed for divorce.
Allegations In Court Filings
In his petition for a protection order, he alleged that Chen had used anti-LGBTQ+ slurs against him and one of the children, the Mercury News reported.
He also accused Jang of abusive behaviour during medical procedures connected to his gender transition. The allegations were contained in court documents filed during the family-law dispute.
McKinsey began working for The New York Times in January 2023. He was the director of engineering for New York Times Games and worked from the newspaper’s San Francisco Bay Area operation.
A spokesperson for The New York Times declined to provide further comment.
Police have not publicly disclosed a possible motive for the shooting.
