Police arrest a 77-year-old California couple in the shooting death of their son-in-law

Dublin, California (AP) - A 77-year-old couple took the life of their son-in-law in a California park, according to authorities. The victim, Jonathan McKinsey, was a 40-year-old gaming engineer for The New York Times. Court documents revealed that the victim had been involved in a contentious custody dispute with their daughter.

The couple, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77 and residents of Dublin, were apprehended on suspicion of murder and related charges. Police indicated that the murder took place a week prior to a scheduled hearing in McKinsey and Jang's divorce proceedings. The pair had been married since roughly 2012 and had three young children.

In 2023, Jang reported McKinsey to the police for allegedly shoving one of their children and using physical discipline. In October of the same year, she secured a domestic violence protection order against McKinsey following his arrest and conviction for child abuse. At the time of his death, McKinsey was out on bail and attempting to enroll in a mental health diversion program.

McKinsey had requested a domestic violence protection order against his wife and was seeking to increase his visitation rights with their three children. He identified Chen as being abusive during McKinsey's medical procedures related to his transition. McKinsey joined The New York Times in January 2023, serving as the director of engineering for New York Times Games in the San Francisco Bay Area.