Guwahati: A 40-year-old New York Times engineering executive was fatally shot at a sports complex in California, with police arresting his elderly in-laws on suspicion of murder.

Jonathan McKinsey, director of engineering for the newspaper’s Games division, was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin shortly after 3 pm. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Dublin Police Services.

Police identified the suspects as Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, who are married and were McKinsey’s parents-in-law. Officers located the couple near the scene shortly after the shooting following information from witnesses. They were arrested on suspicion of murder and booked into Santa Rita Jail.

Authorities said there were no other suspects at large and that there was no known continuing threat to the public.

The shooting took place during the afternoon at the public sports facility, which includes playing fields and a playground. A police sergeant in the area found McKinsey in the parking lot after emergency calls reporting gunfire were received.

Witnesses told local media that they saw a man and a woman involved in the incident before the two left the area. Police have not disclosed which suspect allegedly fired the shots or confirmed reports that both suspects participated in the shooting.

Investigators are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing and have not publicly disclosed a motive.

Estranged marriage and custody dispute

The arrests have drawn attention to McKinsey’s long-running legal disputes with his estranged wife, Candice Jang, and her parents.

Court records cited by media reports show that McKinsey and Jang had sought domestic violence protection orders against each other and were involved in divorce and child custody proceedings.

McKinsey had alleged that Jang and her parents mistreated him over his transgender identity. He also accused his mother-in-law of using anti-LGBTQ slurs against him and one of his sons. In another allegation, he claimed his father-in-law assaulted him while he was recovering from double mastectomy surgery in 2010.

McKinsey and Jang married in 2011 and had three children. Court filings also contain allegations against McKinsey. Jang accused him of physically assaulting her during an argument and emotionally abusing her mother.

Jang sought a domestic violence restraining order in October 2025, while McKinsey filed for one against her two months later.

McKinsey was also facing two misdemeanor child abuse charges filed in 2025. Court records state that Jang had alleged he struck her six-year-old son in the face with an open hand. McKinsey pleaded not guilty and was released under conditions that included completing parenting classes.

Who was Jonathan McKinsey?

McKinsey joined The New York Times in 2023 and served as director of engineering for its Games division. His professional profile indicated nearly two decades of experience in the technology sector, including positions at Oracle, Coursera and Splunk.

He studied computer science at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, Berkeley. He had also taught computer science courses part time, according to his professional profile.

A New York Times spokesperson confirmed that McKinsey was the victim of Saturday’s shooting.

Police have not established a public motive for the killing, and the investigation remains ongoing.