California couple, 77, arrested in son-in-law's shooting death amid custody dispute

A 77-year-old California couple has been arrested on suspicion of murder in the weekend shooting death of their son-in-law, a killing that authorities say unfolded in a city park parking lot east of San Francisco and followed a bitter custody dispute.

Jonathan McKinsey, 40, a gaming engineer for The New York Times, was shot Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of a sports complex in Dublin, California. A police sergeant driving nearby saw him on the ground as witnesses began calling 911 and pointing out the couple, who remained near the scene, according to Dublin Police Services.

Authorities arrested Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77 and residents of Dublin, on suspicion of murder and other charges. The two were scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning. It was not immediately clear whether either had secured legal representation, and phone numbers listed for their daughter, Candice Jang, were disconnected.

The killing occurred a week before a scheduled hearing in the divorce case between McKinsey and Jang. Court records show the couple had been married since about 2012 and had three young children.

The records also reveal a history of domestic violence allegations. In 2023, Jang reported McKinsey to police, accusing him of shoving one of their children and using rough physical discipline. Last October, she obtained a domestic violence protection order against him after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor child abuse in a separate case. Police said McKinsey acknowledged slapping one child and also charged him with endangering another. At the time of his death, he was out on bail and had been seeking entry into a mental health diversion program.

McKinsey responded to his wife's court filing by requesting a domestic violence protection order against her and filing for divorce. He had since sought more time with the three children, noting that he had been limited to two hours of supervised visits per week since last fall, according to Alameda County court documents.

In his petition for a protection order, McKinsey, who was transgender, alleged that Chen had directed anti-LGBTQ+ slurs at him and at one of their children. He also accused Jang of being abusive during medical procedures related to his transition.

McKinsey joined The New York Times in January 2023 and served as director of engineering for New York Times Games, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A spokesperson for the newspaper declined to comment further.