In-laws charged with murdering New York Times engineer

Summarised from 5 outlets · 10 reports · Updated 2 Oct, 20:43 · Archive

Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, have been charged with murder after allegedly shooting their son-in-law Jonathan McKinsey in a California park on Saturday.

A California couple have been charged with murder following the death of Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old New York Times games engineer. Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, allegedly shot McKinsey in the parking lot of a Dublin Sports Grounds store in Dublin, California on Saturday.

The shooting occurred days before McKinsey and the couple's daughter, Candice Jang, were set for a hearing in their bitter divorce case. Both suspects were due in court for an arraignment on murder charges.

Court documents filed in relation to McKinsey's estate claims allege that he had reported abuse from his parents-in-law. According to the Independent World, McKinsey had claimed they punched and insulted him because he was transgender. The Daily Mail reports that court filings claim McKinsey was forced to eat a cockroach by his wife before his death.

According to Fox News, Shouyong Zhang allegedly admitted to shooting McKinsey after surveillance video captured him and his wife opening fire. The New York Post reports that witnesses and court filings indicate the two suspects took turns shooting before fleeing the scene in a Honda Civic.

The couple's attorney, Curtis Briggs, presented a contrasting account to reporters outside court on Thursday. He claimed that McKinsey had 'terrorized family for years', painting a drastically different picture of events than the allegations contained in court documents.

How it is being reported

• Accused killer in-laws’ attorney claims slain NYT exec ‘terrorized family for years’The attorney for the alleged killer in-laws’ painted a drastically different picture Thursday of the transgender New York Times executive gunned down in a Northern California parking lot. Curtis Briggs stood in front of the court where Jonathan McKinsey’s mother-in-law Shili Chen and father-in-law Shouyong Zhang were attending proceedings Thursday — and told reporters the...New York Post · 2 Oct, 16:15
• Accused killer in-laws’ lawyer tears apart trans NYT exec days after his slaying: ‘Terrorized family for years’The attorney for the alleged killer in-laws' painted a drastically different picture Thursday of the transgender New York Times exec gunned down in a Northern California parking lot last week.New York Post · 1 Oct, 22:05
• Father hoped NYT executive son would visit home weeks before prosecutors allege deadly in-law ambushA father's loving Facebook post surfaced days before New York Times executive Jonathan McKinsey was allegedly ambushed in a California park.Fox News · 1 Oct, 19:00
• Transgender NY Times executive was forced to eat cockroach by wife before he was allegedly murdered by in-laws, court filing claimsJonathan McKinsey, 40, was shot dead in the parking lot of a Dublin Sports Grounds store in Dublin, California last weekend.Daily Mail · 1 Oct, 18:19
• Father-in-law of trans NYT exec admitted killing him, worked 'in concert' with mother-in-law: docsShouyong Zhang allegedly admitted to shooting Jonathan McKinsey after surveillance video captured him and his wife opening fire in a Dublin park.Fox News · 1 Oct, 12:00
• Wife of slain New York Times executive seen with children in Bay Area after parents appear in court over transgender husband's murderShouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, allegedly gunned down their son-in-law, Jonathan McKinsey, 40, in the parking lot of a Dublin Sports Grounds store in Dublin, California on Saturday.Daily Mail · 1 Oct, 02:06
• Accused ‘killer grandma’ in NYT exec slaying appears in court with husbandWitnesses and court filings report that the two elderly suspects took turns shooting McKinsey before fleeing the scene in a Honda Civic.New York Post · 30 Sept, 23:42
• In-laws charged with murder of New York Times games engineer in CaliforniaShili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, charged days before Jonathan McKinsey and wife were set for hearing in divorce case A California couple have been charged with murder after authorities say they shot their son-in-law to death Saturday in a public park, days before he and the couple’s daughter were set for a hearing in a bitter divorce case. Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, were due in court Wednesday for an arraignment on the charges. The Associated Press was not able to reach an attorney for the couple prior to the court appearance. Their daughter, Candice Jang, could not be…Guardian World · 30 Sept, 21:31
• Engineer allegedly shot dead by in-laws claimed they abused him because he was transgender, court docs revealJonathan McKinsey had claimed his parents-in-law punched and insulted himIndependent World · 30 Sept, 20:32
• Trans New York Times exec’s in-laws were lying in wait before grisly killing as full charges revealed: prosecutorsThe elderly in-laws and alleged killers of trans New York Times tech exec Jonathan McKinsey appeared in court for their arraignment Wednesday.New York Post · 30 Sept, 18:52

In this story: Jonathan McKinsey · Shili Chen · Shouyong Zhang · Candice Jang · New York Times · Dublin · California

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log