A tech executive from The New York Times, Jonathan McKinsey, was reportedly shot and killed by his elderly in-laws in California amid a prolonged conflict involving his gender identity, according to court documents.
McKinsey accused his wife, Candice Jang, of previously trying to remove medical tubes while he was transitioning from female to male. The court records also indicated that his mother-in-law had insulted him, labeling him a “disgusting queer” and a “pervert” during disputes concerning their child’s clothing choices.
The 40-year-old, who served as the head of engineering for games player experience at the Times, was shot in a parking lot at a sports complex in Dublin, California, around 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Shortly after the incident, police arrested McKinsey’s in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, on murder charges.
As the couple’s relationship deteriorated after 15 years of marriage, McKinsey had sought a restraining order against Jang in December 2025. Notably, he alleged that she physically assaulted him with a frying pan back in 2013 and accused her of verbally abusing their children.
In the same restraining order, McKinsey claimed that Chen was also verbally abusive to their kids, which coincided with ongoing arguments over his gender identity. McKinsey transitioned in 2010, the year before his marriage to Jang.
Chen had reportedly referred to McKinsey with derogatory terms regarding his identity during these disputes. He claimed that Jang exhibited abusive behavior as well, attempting to interfere with his medical treatment during his transition.
In addition to these issues, court records from 2025 indicated that McKinsey faced two counts of misdemeanor child abuse. This stemmed from an incident Jang reported to the Dublin police, alleging that he struck her six-year-old son. She also recounted a prior domestic violence incident in 2018 that resulted in bruises on her arm.
When authorities responded to their home, they discovered their two-year-old child alone in an upstairs room while McKinsey was out shopping. Ultimately, he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on the condition that he complete parenting classes.
A spokesperson for The New York Times confirmed that McKinsey was a victim of the shooting and that he had joined the newspaper in 2023.
