Days after a New York Times executive was allegedly killed in a California park by his 77-year-old in-laws, a father’s emotional Facebook plea asking his son to return home came to light.
Jonathan McKinsey posted a smiling photograph on Facebook on Sept. 7. His father, William Finney II, responded with a message expressing hope that the family could reconnect.
“Jon, I hope everything is going well,” Finney wrote. “We hope you can visit when you have some free time. Mom and Dad love you very much and miss you. We hope things are going well for you, Candice and the kids.”
Fewer than three weeks later, McKinsey, 40, was shot to death in the parking lot of the Dublin Sports Grounds. Prosecutors allege that his in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, planned and carried out an ambush.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged the couple with murder, alleging they intentionally killed McKinsey after “lying in wait.”
Multiple 911 callers reported hearing gunshots before a Dublin Police Services sergeant arrived and found McKinsey with several gunshot wounds.
Authorities said Shili Chen, 77, was booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder following the fatal shooting of her son-in-law, Jonathan McKinsey. (Alameda County Sheriff’s Office)
According to court documents, witnesses saw a black Honda Civic flee the lot, prompting officers to make a high-risk traffic stop nearby. Chen was allegedly behind the wheel, with Zhang in the passenger seat.
Three witnesses identified Chen and Zhang as the alleged gunmen. Investigators also said surveillance footage showed the pair firing at McKinsey “in concert.”
Police accused the couple of opening fire in a busy park parking lot with “blatant disregard for public safety,” despite several children being in the area.
Court documents say Zhang later acknowledged shooting McKinsey during an interview with investigators. Police also recovered a second gun that Zhang allegedly said he used in the killing.
Shouyong Zhang, 77, was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the fatal shooting of his son-in-law, Jonathan McKinsey, in Dublin, California. (Alameda County Sheriff’s Office)
The killing unfolded against the backdrop of a contentious divorce, a child custody battle and separate domestic violence claims involving McKinsey and his estranged wife, Candice Jang.
News Outlet previously examined court dockets showing that the couple had several upcoming proceedings, including a family law status conference scheduled for Oct. 2 and a three-day hearing on domestic violence restraining orders set for December.
Court filings show McKinsey filed for divorce in December. KTVU reported that he and Jang had been married for 14 years, were living separately and that Jang held sole legal and physical custody of their three children.
The records also detail dueling accusations of domestic violence. Jang secured a temporary restraining order in October 2025. About two months later, and roughly a week before that order was due to expire, McKinsey requested a restraining order of his own.
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Authorities said Jonathan McKinsey, an engineering executive with The New York Times Games division, was shot and killed Saturday afternoon in Dublin, California. His parents-in-law were arrested on suspicion of murder within minutes. (Jon McKinsey/Facebook)
In court filings, McKinsey alleged that Jang physically and emotionally abused him weekly and mistreated their children.
“I truly believe that she would hurt or even kill them if she believed there was any possibility of me having the children in my custody and care,” McKinsey wrote in a declaration reviewed by KTVU.
McKinsey, who was a transgender man, also described disputes with his in-laws. He accused Chen of directing anti-LGBTQ slurs at him and his son after he intervened.
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)
McKinsey also accused Zhang of striking him in the chest while he was recovering from double mastectomy surgery in 2010.
McKinsey also alleged Jang forced him to eat a dead cockroach and once struck him with a frying pan.
In her protection order request, Jang alleged McKinsey physically and emotionally abused her, their children and her parents, asking the court to keep him away from all of them.
“He can be vindictive, and I worry he will retaliate against me and the people listed above,” she wrote.
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)
Jang also wrote that she slept with a pair of scissors near her bed for protection in 2021.
Prosecutors separately charged McKinsey in October with two misdemeanor counts alleging he struck his 6-year-old son and left his 2-year-old child home alone while shopping, according to KTVU.
McKinsey denied intentionally leaving the toddler behind, arguing in court filings that Jang orchestrated the situation to frame him.
Despite the ongoing legal battles, a judge later approved unsupervised public visits with the couple’s three children.
Police also served a search warrant at Jang’s home Tuesday night. Authorities have not disclosed what investigators were seeking.
It was not immediately clear Thursday whether Zhang or Chen had retained attorneys to represent them.
News Outlet reached out to members of McKinsey’s family seeking comment but did not immediately receive a response. Jang could not immediately be reached.
