A California man accused of fatally shooting his transgender son-in-law allegedly confessed after surveillance footage showed him and his wife firing at the victim together in a crowded park, according to newly filed court documents.
Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, were charged Wednesday with murdering their son-in-law, 40-year-old Jonathan McKinsey. Prosecutors also filed a special-circumstance allegation accusing the couple of killing him while “lying in wait.”
Multiple 911 callers reported hearing gunshots at the Dublin Sports Grounds. When a Dublin Police Services sergeant arrived, McKinsey was found lying on his back with several gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses directed officers toward a black Honda Civic leaving the parking lot, court filings state. Police soon pulled the vehicle over in a high-risk traffic stop nearby.
Jonathan McKinsey, an engineering executive at The New York Times Games, was shot and killed Saturday afternoon in Dublin, California. Authorities arrested his parents-in-law on suspicion of murder within minutes. (Jon McKinsey/Facebook)
Chen was driving the Honda and allegedly had a firearm when officers took her into custody. Zhang was seated in the passenger seat.
Three witnesses identified Chen and Zhang as the shooters, while surveillance footage allegedly showed the pair opening fire on McKinsey “in concert.”
Police said the couple fired their weapons in a crowded park parking lot with “blatant disregard for public safety,” despite the presence of several children nearby.
After her arrest, Chen was taken to police headquarters, where she invoked her Miranda rights during questioning.
Shili Chen, 77, was booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder following the fatal shooting of her son-in-law, Jonathan McKinsey, authorities said. (Alameda County Sheriff’s Office)
Zhang, by contrast, allegedly agreed to speak with investigators and admitted that he shot McKinsey.
“During a later interview [with] Zhang, he admitted to shooting the victim,” the court document states.
A subsequent search of the Honda uncovered a second firearm. Zhang allegedly told police that he had used that weapon in the shooting.
Shouyong Zhang, 77, was arrested on suspicion of murder in the fatal shooting of his son-in-law, Jonathan McKinsey, in Dublin, California. (Alameda County Sheriff’s Office)
Prosecutors also accused Chen and Zhang of intentionally killing McKinsey by lying in wait, a special-circumstance allegation that describes an alleged ambush in which the attackers waited for an opportunity to strike.
The charges further allege that both Chen and Zhang opened fire on McKinsey, causing his death.
According to the complaint, the killing involved “great violence” and conduct reflecting a “high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness.” Prosecutors also allege that both defendants were armed or used a weapon during the homicide.
Jonathan McKinsey, an engineering executive at The New York Times Games, was shot and killed Saturday afternoon in Dublin, California. His parents-in-law were arrested on suspicion of murder within minutes, authorities said. (Jon McKinsey/Facebook)
McKinsey’s death occurred during a contentious divorce and child-custody dispute involving Chen and Zhang’s daughter, Candice Jang.
Before his death, McKinsey accused Jang and her parents of years of abuse in court filings. The New York Times reported that McKinsey, a transgender man, alleged that some of the abuse was connected to his gender identity.
McKinsey accused Chen of directing anti-LGBTQ slurs at him and one of his children and alleged Zhang struck him in the chest while he was recovering from double mastectomy surgery, The Mercury News reported. Jang made competing allegations of domestic violence and child abuse against McKinsey, which he disputed.
Jonathan McKinsey, a New York Times Games engineering executive, was shot and killed Saturday afternoon in Dublin, California, and his parents-in-law were arrested on suspicion of murder within minutes, authorities said. (Jon McKinsey/Facebook)
News Outlet reviewed court dockets showing McKinsey and Jang were locked in multiple legal battles when McKinsey was killed, including competing domestic violence restraining order cases, a child custody dispute and a pending divorce.
Jang sought a domestic violence restraining order against McKinsey in October 2025, while McKinsey filed his own request two months later. The competing domestic violence matters were headed toward a three-day hearing in December.
News Outlet has reached out to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and Dublin Police Services for additional information. McKinsey’s divorce attorney did not immediately respond to News Outlet’s request for comment.
It was not immediately clear if the suspects had attorneys representing them.
