Jonathan McKinsey, director of engineering for the New York Times Games, was shot dead Saturday afternoon at a sports complex in Dublin’s East Bay city. Police arrested her mother-in-law and father-in-law on suspicion of murder. The New York Times has confirmed his death several times.
A Dublin Police Service sergeant was driving near the Dublin Sports Ground around 3 p.m. Saturday when he spotted a man lying in the parking lot, according to a police statement. Dispatchers began receiving multiple 911 calls about a shooting around the same time. The athletic fields are on Dublin Boulevard, off Interstate 580 and close to downtown.
Officers found Jonathan McKinsey, 40, of Dublin, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses helped officers locate and arrest two suspects who remained nearby, police said. Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77 years old and residents of Dublin, were arrested on suspicion of murder and held in Santa Rita Prison. Police said the two men were married and were McKinsey’s in-laws.
A witness told KPIX-TV that a man shot McKinsey, handed the gun to a woman and she shot him as well. The witness said both were wearing masks. Police have not confirmed this account or indicated which suspect, if any, fired the weapon. Investigators have not said what led to the shooting or described the alleged role of either person. Police said there are no outstanding suspects and no known threats to the public.
Alameda County court records show that McKinsey and his wife, Candice Jang, were involved in a series of legal disputes in the year before his death. Jang filed for a domestic violence restraining order against McKinsey in October 2025; McKinsey sought one against Jang in December. McKinsey also filed for divorce in December, and the couple continued to argue for child custody this year. Separately, McKinsey was charged in October 2025 with two misdemeanor offenses involving child endangerment and injury to a child. Records appear to show that McKinsey and Jang were married in Harris County, Texas, in 2011.
According to McKinsey’s LinkedIn profile, he joined the Times’ games engineering team in 2023 and became director of engineering for game player experience in December 2025. He previously held engineering positions at Splunk and other technology companies. He wrote that he had taught computer science courses part-time at Georgia Tech and UC Berkeley and held computer science degrees from both universities. On Linkedin, McKinsey has often commented on workplace and recruiting issues. In a comment posted three years ago, he recalled helping to raise money and collect clothing for the family of a former colleague who died suddenly.
“When a colleague and friend died suddenly at a former company, the team stopped working for an entire week and we brought in grief counselors,” he wrote. “People were encouraged to take time to grieve.”
Zhang and Chen were arrested Saturday on suspicion of first-degree murder, conspiracy, intentionally discharging a firearm with gross negligence and child abuse, records show. They are being held without bail and are scheduled to appear in Dublin on Wednesday. The records do not explain the child abuse allegation. When asked for clarification on Monday morning, Dublin Police told SFGATE that no further details could be provided about the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information can contact Dublin Police Service Sgt. Ahmad Mateen at 925-786-7989.
This breaking news story has been updated.
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