California couple charged with murder after son-in-law shot dead in Dublin park
A 77-year-old husband and wife were arrested and charged with murder after allegedly shooting their son-in-law in a Dublin, California parking lot, days before a scheduled divorce hearing.
Authorities in Alameda County have charged Shili Chen, 77, and Shouyong Zhang, 77, with murder after a shooting that left Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old gaming engineer, dead in the parking lot of a sports complex in Dublin, California. The incident occurred on Saturday, just days before McKinsey and his wife were due to appear for a hearing in a contentious divorce case.
Police said a sergeant driving nearby saw McKinsey on the ground and received 911 calls from witnesses who identified the couple’s vehicle. The pair were detained as they left the scene, and a firearm was recovered from Chen’s possession. Prosecutors allege Zhang admitted to firing the fatal shot and that a second gun found in the car was also used during the crime. Surveillance video reportedly shows both Chen and Zhang shooting the victim.
Court records indicate the killing took place amid a bitter divorce and custody battle over the couple’s three young children. Both parties had previously filed restraining orders accusing each other of physical, emotional and psychological abuse spanning more than a decade. McKinsey, who was transgender, alleged that Chen used anti-LGBTQ slurs and that his wife and her parents were verbally and physically abusive during his gender transition. He also claimed Zhang punched him while he was recovering from double-mastectomy surgery.
McKinsey had earlier been charged with misdemeanor child abuse for allegedly striking his oldest son and endangering his youngest child. He pleaded not guilty and maintained that he had been set up by his wife. At the time of his death, he was out on bail and seeking entry into a mental-health diversion program.
The couple appeared briefly in court for an arraignment on Wednesday; the hearing was postponed to Thursday. Public defender Jennie Otis, representing Zhang, declined to comment, while Chen told the judge, through an interpreter, that she could not afford an attorney. A public defender will be appointed for her case.
McKinsey had joined The New York Times in January 2023 as director of engineering for its gaming division. A spokesperson for the newspaper declined further comment.