California couple accused of killing son-in-law amid custody dispute with daughter

A couple in their late 70s gunned down their son-in-law in a California city park over the weekend, authorities said, and court documents showed the victim had been in a bitter custody dispute with their daughter.

Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old gaming engineer for The New York Times, was shot to death Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of a sports complex in Dublin, east of San Francisco. A police sergeant was driving nearby and saw him on the ground as witnesses began calling 911 and pointing out the couple, who were still near the scene, Dublin Police Services said in a news release.

Authorities arrested Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 76 and from Dublin, on suspicion of murder and other charges. They were due to appear in court Wednesday morning. It was not immediately clear if either had obtained a lawyer, and phone numbers listed for their daughter, Candice Jang, were disconnected.

The killing occurred a week before a hearing was scheduled in McKinsey and Jang's divorce case. The couple had been married since about 2012 and had three young children, court records show.

Court records show that Jang reported McKinsey to police in 2023, accusing him of shoving one of their children and using rough physical discipline with them generally.

Last October, she obtained a domestic violence protection order against McKinsey after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanour child abuse in another case. Police said he acknowledged having slapped one child and also charged him with endangering another. At the time of his killing, he was out on bail and had been trying to enter a mental health diversion program, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

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

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, the Mercury News reported. He also accused Jang of being abusive during medical procedures related to his transition.

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