Politics
Key New York Times Figure Shot Dead By His In-Laws
A New York Times technology executive was shot dead in broad daylight at a California sports complex, and police say the suspects are his elderly in-laws.
Jonathan McKinsey, 40, the newspaper’s head of engineering for games player experience, was killed Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds.
Police identified the suspects as Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77.
Officers patrolling the area encountered McKinsey suffering from multiple gunshot wounds as emergency dispatchers were flooded with 911 calls.
First responders attempted to save him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses told authorities they saw two masked suspects approach McKinsey in the parking lot before opening fire.
The pair allegedly took turns shooting him before a nearby officer moved in and arrested them.
Zhang and Chen were later booked into Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder.
The two also face a list of additional serious allegations, including first-degree murder, felony conspiracy, unlawfully discharging a firearm and child endangerment that could have resulted in great bodily injury or death.
Man shot dead in parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds next door to @DublinPIO City Hall & down street from @DublinCAPolice. No apparent threat to public safety, cops say pic.twitter.com/QQvEc15lEX
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) September 27, 2026
Authorities have not publicly detailed a motive for the killing.
McKinsey had worked at The New York Times since early 2023, when he joined the company as a senior engineering manager.
A Times spokesman confirmed that McKinsey was the victim and said he had risen to become the head of engineering for games player experience.
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Before joining the Times, McKinsey worked as an engineering manager at Splunk.
He earned a master’s degree in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2015 and built much of his career in the tech industry before moving into his role at the newspaper.
News of his death quickly spread among former colleagues and friends.
Nathan Wu, whose LinkedIn profile says he worked at UC Berkeley, posted a brief tribute Sunday.
“Rip buddy.”
Police said the shooting happened shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday at the Dublin sports complex.
Investigators moved quickly after the gunfire erupted, with officers securing the parking lot and taking both suspects into custody.
The suspects are from the Dublin area and also have ties to Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to reporting on the case.
Booking records list Zhang at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, while Chen is listed at 5-foot-2 and 110 pounds.
The killing stunned the local community and McKinsey’s colleagues at the Times, where he held a senior role tied to the newspaper’s popular games division.
Both suspects remain accused in connection with the shooting as authorities continue investigating what led to the deadly confrontation.
