‘Killer Grandma’ Attacked Trans NYT Executive

A New York Times technology executive allegedly gunned down by his elderly in-laws had been caught in a bitter family battle filled with disturbing accusations of abuse, anti-LGBTQ slurs and fights over the couple’s children, newly resurfaced court records show.

Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds in Northern California shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police arrested McKinsey’s parents-in-law, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, within minutes of the shooting after witnesses helped officers identify the suspects.

The married couple was booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder.

But as investigators work to determine what led to the deadly confrontation, court records are revealing just how fractured the family had become before McKinsey’s death.

McKinsey, who was transgender, had accused Chen of directing anti-LGBTQ slurs at him and one of his young children during an earlier dispute over the child’s clothing, according to allegations contained in his request for a restraining order against his estranged wife, Candice Jang.

McKinsey claimed the conflict erupted after the child began asking to wear a sibling’s dresses.

According to his account in the court filing, Chen became angry over the behavior and allegedly insulted the child with homophobic slurs.

McKinsey claimed Chen then turned the same language against him after he objected to the way she was treating the child.

The allegations have taken on new significance following McKinsey’s killing, but authorities have not said the dispute over gender identity or the child’s clothing was a motive for the shooting.

Dublin Police Services has said only that detectives are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the homicide.

The family turmoil extended far beyond the confrontation with Chen.

McKinsey and Jang had made serious accusations against each other while their marriage deteriorated.

Jang sought a domestic violence restraining order in October 2025, alleging McKinsey had abused her and their three children over a period of years.

McKinsey was also charged with two misdemeanor child-abuse counts following allegations involving one of the couple’s children.

Court records cited in local reporting show Jang told police that McKinsey had struck their 6-year-old son in the face with an open hand.

Authorities also alleged another young child had been left unattended in an upstairs bedroom while McKinsey was away from the home.

McKinsey pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was released from jail while the criminal case continued and was ordered to complete parenting classes.

Jang also reportedly told investigators about an alleged 2018 domestic violence incident in which she said McKinsey grabbed her hard enough to leave bruising on her arm.

McKinsey strongly disputed the broader picture painted by his estranged wife.

In December 2025, he filed his own request for protection and accused Jang of years of physical and emotional abuse.

Among the allegations, McKinsey claimed Jang struck him with a frying pan during a 2013 argument.

He also alleged she tried to pull medical tubes from his body following a procedure associated with his gender transition years earlier.

McKinsey further claimed that Zhang, his father-in-law and now one of the suspects in his killing, once punched him in the chest while he was recovering from mastectomy surgery.

None of those allegations resulted in findings that establish what happened during the disputed incidents, and Jang’s allegations against McKinsey were likewise being contested as the couple fought in court.

McKinsey filed for divorce in December 2025, setting the stage for a prolonged dispute involving their children and competing abuse allegations.

A family court status conference reportedly had been scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2 — less than a week after McKinsey was killed.

McKinsey was director of engineering for New York Times Games and had worked for the newspaper since 2023. The company confirmed his position following his death.

His killing unfolded in broad daylight at Dublin Sports Grounds, a sprawling city recreational complex about 35 miles east of San Francisco.

Dublin police said a sergeant driving near the park at approximately 3:08 p.m. spotted a man lying in the middle of the parking lot just as emergency dispatchers began receiving multiple 911 calls.

Officers discovered McKinsey suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Witnesses interviewed by Bay Area news outlets described seeing two people involved in the attack and alleged that a man fired at McKinsey before handing the weapon to a woman, who also fired.

Police have not publicly confirmed every detail of those eyewitness accounts.

What authorities have confirmed is that Zhang and Chen remained nearby after the shooting and were detained within minutes with help from witnesses.

Investigators said there were no other suspects being sought and no known continuing threat to the public.

Alameda County jail records have listed additional allegations associated with the arrests, including conspiracy, unlawful discharge of a firearm and child-endangerment-related allegations.

Those jail entries should not be confused with a final conviction — or necessarily with the charges prosecutors will ultimately pursue.

As of Tuesday, authorities had announced the pair’s arrests on suspicion of murder, while the investigation remained active.

Zhang and Chen were scheduled to appear in court for arraignment Wednesday, Sept. 30.

The hearing could provide the first clearer look at the formal charges prosecutors intend to bring and whether additional allegations will be filed.

For now, perhaps the biggest unanswered question remains why McKinsey was killed.

The ugly court fight gives investigators a substantial history of conflict to examine, but police have not publicly connected any particular accusation, argument or family dispute to the shooting.

Dublin Police Services said detectives are continuing to collect evidence and determine exactly what led to McKinsey’s death.