New York Times executive shot dead in Bay Area park; in-laws arrested

Dubai: A New York Times engineering executive was fatally shot at a park in California’s Bay Area on Saturday, with police saying his in-laws were arrested in connection with the killing.

Jonathan McKinsey, 40, who headed engineering and games player experiences at The New York Times, was found with multiple gunshot wounds at Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, Alameda County, shortly after 3 pm.

Police said McKinsey was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following calls from witnesses, Dublin police arrested Shouyong Zhang, 77, and Shili Chen, 77, a married couple identified by police as McKinsey’s in-laws. Both were being held at Santa Rita Jail pending charges, police said.

The shooting occurred amid an ongoing domestic and child custody dispute involving McKinsey and his wife, Candice Jang, according to court documents.

Last year, a judge granted Jang’s petition for a temporary domestic violence restraining order against McKinsey, court records show. McKinsey filed for divorce in December, with a hearing scheduled for next month.

In August, the court approved the appointment of a private child custody evaluator.

McKinsey earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech before completing a master’s degree in computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He joined The New York Times in 2023, the newspaper confirmed.