A New York Times tech executive was fatally shot in California, with court documents alleging that his estranged wife and her parents had been involved in a bitter dispute over his transition.
Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was killed on Saturday in a car park at a sports complex in Dublin, Alameda County, police said.
His in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, were arrested on suspicion of murder and other charges.
The arrests follow a series of allegations made in restraining-order applications involving McKinsey and his estranged wife, Candice Jang. Jang filed for an order against him in 2025, while McKinsey later sought one against her.
In his filing, McKinsey alleged that Jang had tried to pull medical tubes from his body during his transition from a woman to a man in 2010. The couple nevertheless married the following year, according to the documents.
McKinsey also alleged that Chen called him a “pervert” and a “disgusting queer” after a disagreement over one of the couple’s children’s clothing.
The filings describe allegations of violence within the relationship. McKinsey claimed Jang had struck him with a frying pan and alleged that she and her mother had been verbally abusive towards the children.
Jang had previously contacted Dublin police, alleging that McKinsey slapped her six-year-old son in the face. She also told officers that he had bruised her arm in an incident around 2018.
Alameda County prosecutors charged McKinsey with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse in 2025. He pleaded not guilty, was released from jail and was required to attend parenting classes.
A New York Times spokesperson confirmed that McKinsey had worked for the newspaper since 2023.
