Trans NYT Executive Killed By In-Laws Abused Children, Wife Claims

A transgender New York Times technology executive who was allegedly shot dead by his elderly in-laws had been accused of abusing his wife and children and threatening to kill family members during a bitter custody battle, according to court records.

Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was killed Saturday after being shot multiple times in the parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California.

Police arrested his in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, in connection with the killing.

The shooting came after years of turmoil inside the family, including competing abuse allegations, restraining orders, criminal child abuse charges and an ongoing fight over custody of three young children.

McKinsey’s wife, Candice Jang, sought a domestic violence prevention order against him in 2025, accusing McKinsey of physically, verbally and emotionally abusing her and their children.

Jang claimed McKinsey struck their 6-year-old son “at least four to five times” and once pushed him hard enough that his head struck a hardwood floor, leaving a bump and abrasions.

She also accused McKinsey of verbally abusing the boy and calling him names including “a*****e” and “jerk.”


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In another alleged incident, Jang said McKinsey hit their son in the face during an argument over Lego, leaving a ‘very large bruise the shape of a handprint.’

Jang also claimed McKinsey injured their young daughter in December 2022 by pulling her hard enough that her head struck the sharp corner of a baby gate.

‘The abuse that happened over the past 17 years has caused permanent damage to my mental health and physical health,’ Jang wrote in a court filing.

‘I would like a restraining order to protect myself and my three children, as well as my mother from future abuse.’

A judge granted the protection order.

In a separate August custody filing, Jang described what she said was a pattern of fear inside the home.

“During our marriage, the children and I learned to avoid provoking Jonathan lest he became angry. In my experience, appearing agreeable or happy around him was sometimes a means of avoiding his anger,” McKinsey’s wife, Candice Jang, said in an August custody filing obtained by the California Post.

Jang also claimed McKinsey had previously threatened to kill her and her parents.

According to court documents, McKinsey gave the couple’s children a book about a young girl mourning the death of her mother, which Jang said took on a frightening meaning because of those alleged threats.

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“Jonathan dismisses my concern about a book he provided to the children concerning the death of a mother. He omits the context that makes the conduct frightening to me. Jonathan has previously threatened to kill me and my parents,” she said in the documents.

The book was allegedly given to the children as a birthday present.

“However, given his prior threats against my life, I found the choice deeply disturbing and frightening,” she added.

Jang claimed the alleged abuse stretched back 17 years and detailed more than a dozen incidents between November 2020 and July 2025.

She also accused McKinsey of grabbing her wrist hard enough to leave bruises during a 2018 incident.

Deputies responding to that case reportedly found a 2-year-old child unattended in an upstairs bedroom after McKinsey had left to go shopping.

McKinsey was later charged with misdemeanor child abuse offenses and released on $50,000 bail.

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At the time of his death, he had reportedly been attempting to enter a mental health diversion program that could have resulted in the charges being dismissed upon successful completion.

Jang’s attorney wrote in subsequent court filings that McKinsey ‘is simply prone to domestic violence and child abuse,’ adding that the incidents previously cited were ‘far from the first time’ he had ‘committed physical violence against me or my family members.’

‘Due to his violent and negligent history, our children are simply not safe when left unsupervised and in his care,’ Jang wrote in a court filing last month.

McKinsey disputed the allegations and leveled serious accusations of his own.

He claimed Jang had abused him for more than 15 years and alleged she struck him with a frying pan in 2013.

He also accused Jang of verbally mistreating their children and alleged that Chen, Jang’s mother, directed anti-LGBTQ+ insults at him and one of the children.

McKinsey claimed Chen referred first to the child and then to him as a ‘disgusting queer’ and a ‘pervert.’

He further alleged that Jang mistreated him during medical procedures related to his gender transition, including trying to pull medical tubes from his body after a double mastectomy.

McKinsey also claimed Jang’s father punched him in the chest while he was recovering from the procedure.

The marriage had unraveled into dueling restraining orders and an increasingly contentious custody fight.

McKinsey filed for divorce, and the estranged couple had been scheduled to return to court over custody Friday.

Investigators have not established a motive for the shooting, but authorities are examining the bitter family conflict as part of the case.

‘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,’ Captain Michael Campos, of Dublin Police Services, told the New York Post.

Witnesses reported seeing two masked shooters approach McKinsey in the parking lot and open fire before calmly walking away.

McKinsey, who joined The New York Times in 2023 and later became head of engineering for games player experience, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene.

Zhang and Chen were taken into custody shortly afterward and booked into Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail.

They are being held without bail on charges including murder, felony conspiracy, child endangerment and dangerously firing a gun.

The allegations against McKinsey remain claims contained in court filings, and he had denied wrongdoing while making abuse allegations against Jang and her family before his death.

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[ H/T Trending Politics ]