Zhang and Shili Chen, Dublin, California, Chinese in laws who shot NYT’s tech executive, Jonathan McKinsey dead at parking lot may have done so in retribution following recent domestic violence and child abuse charges and victim’s wife, Candice Jang filing for divorce against husband.
California police have zeroed in on a family conflict as a possible motive in the shooting death of a New York Times tech executive at a Dublin, California parking lot at the hands of his elderly in laws over the weekend.
Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, allegedly shot dead Jonathan McKinsey, 40, the newspaper’s head of engineering for games player experience, in the parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds around 3.p.m Saturday.
The son in law is reported to have been married to the arrested couple’s daughter, Candice Jang, who had been the previous subject of domestic violence allegedly at the hands of her husband.
Cops zero in on possible motive for tech son in law’s shooting death
Released mugshot photos show Zhang and Chen in custody at Santa Rita Jail, where they were booked early Sunday.
Zhang and Chen now face a range of charges, including first degree murder, conspiracy, willful discharge of a firearm with gross negligence and child abuse.
A spokesman for the NYT’s confirmed McKinsey had worked for the newspaper since 2023.
In the aftermath of the NYT executive’s shooting death, cops have zeroed in on a family conflict as a possible motive for the slaying that saw both halves of the elderly couple allegedly open fire on McKinsey, killing the Berkeley-educated exec in broad daylight.
Child abuse and domestic violence charges
Previous arrest records detail allegations of child abuse against McKinsey, along with reports of domestic violence against his wife, Candice Jang. Authorities are looking at revenge as a possible reason for the executive’s slaying the nypost reported.
Sources close to the investigation said its possible Zhang and Chen opened fire on McKinsey as retribution for alleged misdeeds against his child and Jang, who reported told police that McKinsey struck their child and bruised her arm in a heated dispute.
Zhang and Chen have both given interviews to police, but it’s not clear what they said.
‘Part of our investigation is looking for motives from all angles, as well as looking at the histories and relationships of everyone involved and associated with the victim and suspects,’ Capt. Miguel Campos told the nypost.
Chilling Facebook post weeks earlier
The statement follows a chilling post shared on McKinsey’s Facebook page just two weeks earlier.
Stated the post; ‘Jon, hope everything is going well. Hope you can visit us when you have some free time. Mom and Dad love you and miss you. Hope everything goes well with you and Candice and the kids.’
Court records, seen by the nypost, show McKinsey was charged with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse in 2025 by Alameda prosecutors.
The encounter that led to the charges occurred after Jang calling Dublin police to report McKinsey had hit her six-year-old son in the face with an open hand.
She also told investigators about a 2018 domestic violence incident, where McKinsey bruised her left arm, the documents say.
When police went to their home, they found their two-year-old child in a room upstairs by himself while he was out shopping, according to a deputy sheriff.
McKinsey ultimately pleaded not guilty to both crimes and was released from jail on the condition that he take parenting classes.
But there’s more.
Recent divorce filing
McKinsey and Jang were fighting a string of legal battles against each other before McKinsey was allegedly killed by her parents.
Jang sought a domestic violence restraining order against McKinsey in October 2025 and McKinsey sought one against Jang two months later.
McKinsey filed for divorce from Jang in December, and the couple continued to litigate child custody this year, the outlet reports.
Zhang and Chen are being held without bail and are due in court Wednesday, according to Alameda County Sheriff’s Office inmate records.
While the elderly couple is from the Dublin area, they also have ties to Albuquerque, N.M.
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