Jonathan McKinsey, a transgender New York Times executive who was allegedly shot and killed in broad daylight at a Bay Area parking lot, had previously threatened to kill his wife and in-laws, according to court documents.
McKinsey, 40, was killed Saturday afternoon at Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California, allegedly by his 77-year-old in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen. Witnesses said the couple took turns shooting him in the parking lot.
“During our marriage, the children and I learned to avoid provoking Jonathan lest he became angry. In my experience, appearing agreeable or happy around him was sometimes a means of avoiding his anger,” Jang wrote in an August custody filing obtained by the California Post. The filing was first reported by The Mercury News.
McKinsey and his wife, Candice Jang, married in 2010, although another court filing states they married in 2011. Jang filed for divorce in 2025 after alleging that McKinsey had abused her and one of their young children, a boy.
Jang also alleged that McKinsey had recently given their three children a book about a mother who died.
“Jonathan dismisses my concern about a book he provided to the children concerning the death of a mother. He omits the context that makes the conduct frightening to me. Jonathan has previously threatened to kill me and my parents,” Jang wrote in the court documents.
According to Jang, the 40-year-old newspaper executive gave the children a book about a young girl “mourning the death of her mother, as a birthday present.” She said the choice was “deeply disturbing and frightening” because of his alleged prior threats against her life.
Jang further alleged that McKinsey routinely blamed others for problems instead of accepting responsibility.
McKinsey had filed for divorce the previous year and was embroiled in a contentious custody dispute with Jang. He was accused of abusing Jang and their three children, who were ages 3, 5 and 7.
Jang sought a restraining order against McKinsey in 2025. He responded by seeking a restraining order against her that same year.
McKinsey was charged with two misdemeanor counts of child abuse in connection with the incident. He was ultimately released from jail on the condition that he attend parenting classes.
Jang later submitted another court filing addressing custody matters and disputing what she said was false testimony from her husband.
McKinsey transitioned from female to male in 2010 and married Jang in 2011, according to the filing. The estranged couple had been scheduled to appear in court Friday for a custody hearing before the shooting.
McKinsey joined The New York Times in early 2023 as a senior engineering manager for its games platform. He became the director of engineering for games player experience in late 2025.
Police are investigating the family conflict as a possible motive in the shocking shooting, which allegedly involved both members of the elderly couple opening fire on McKinsey.
