In-Laws Charged With Murder in Killing of NYT Games Engineer
Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, have been charged with murder in the shooting death of their son-in-law Jonathan McKinsey in Dublin, California. McKinsey, 40, was director of engineering for New York Times Games. The couple were due in court Wednesday for arraignment The Guardian.
McKinsey was shot Saturday in the parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds, a sports complex east of San Francisco. He was found around 3 p.m. with multiple gunshot wounds The New York Times. He lived in Dublin and was based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He joined the Times in January 2023, where he oversaw engineering and how players experience Games.
Officers detained Chen and Zhang in the parking lot as they were driving away. Prosecutors say Zhang later admitted in an interview that he shot McKinsey, and police found the gun he described in his car. Prosecutors also say surveillance video shows Chen and Zhang shooting McKinsey together.
The murder charges include allegations of lying in wait and using a firearm. Prosecutors accuse the pair of planning the killing The New York Times. Under California law, those allegations act as enhancements, like add-ons to a murder charge that can bring a longer sentence if proven.
The couple's daughter is Candice Jang. She and McKinsey had been married since July 2011. They have three young children and were in a custody battle. The killing occurred a week before a hearing scheduled in McKinsey's divorce case with Jang.
McKinsey, who is transgender, alleged that Jang and her parents were verbally and physically abusive toward him over a gender transition he underwent years ago. Separately, Jang reported McKinsey to police in 2023, accusing him of shoving one of their children AP. That prior report does not establish fault. It documents a contested domestic history that prosecutors now consider central.
The broader context here is a homicide case built on direct evidence and a documented family dispute. Prosecutors point to an admission, a recovered weapon, and video showing joint action. Defense questions will likely focus on whether the admission can be used in court, what each defendant intended, and what role each played. The lying-in-wait claim will receive close attention, since it requires proof of hiding, watchful waiting, and a surprise attack, not planning alone.
Looking at what this means for the proceedings, the divorce and custody docket matters. A pending hearing involving three young children, abuse allegations on both sides, and a 2023 police report creates parallel records that lawyers and the court will have to parse. Criminal guilt will be decided separately from family-court findings. Still, statements from custody filings, police reports, and the homicide investigation can cross over as evidence. For an employer with staff in many places, the loss is also operational. McKinsey led engineering for a high-profile product from the Bay Area, and his death removes a senior manager in mid-tenure.
