DUBLIN, CALIFORNIA — Dublin police arrested Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen on suspicion of murder in connection with the fatal shooting of their son-in-law, Jonathan McKinsey, on September 27, 2026. McKinsey was pronounced dead at the scene after a Dublin police sergeant discovered him with multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot of the Dublin Sports Grounds.

Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen are residents of Dublin, California, and both are 77 years old. Witnesses reported that the suspects took turns shooting McKinsey while wearing masks before walking calmly away from the scene. Witness Assad Razawi stated he heard five or six shots and saw McKinsey drop to the ground. He said, '"I saw the guy drop to the floor: head bloody and chest bloody."'

The Alameda County District Attorney charged Zhang and Chen with first-degree murder, felony conspiracy, and child endangerment. They were booked into Santa Rita Jail and held without bail. The pair is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2026. Dublin police stated there are no outstanding suspects and no threat to public safety following the arrests.

McKinsey was the director of engineering Games and began working at the organization in January 2023. He previously worked at Oracle, Coursera, Ultimate Kronos Group, and Splunk. McKinsey earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. He was married in Harris County, Texas, in 2011 and lived in the Courtyards at Dublin Ranch Villages prior to moving out.

Dublin Sports Grounds is a public park located in the Courtyards at Dublin Ranch Villages. The site has hosted multiple community events over the past decade, including youth sports tournaments and local festivals, with no prior incidents of violent crime reported by the Dublin Police Department. Records show a history of minor incidents at the grounds, including two reported cases of trespassing and one instance of property damage in the past five years. Shouyong Zhang was previously cited for a traffic violation in 2020 and arrested in 2015 for a public intoxication charge, but no further criminal record is publicly available for him as of the time of the shooting.

Timeline

Jonathan McKinsey was married in Harris County, Texas, in 2011. He began working at The New York Times in January 2023. In 2025, McKinsey was charged with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse.

Court documents alleged that he struck his 6-year-old son in the face with an open hand and left his 2-year-old child unattended in his home while he went shopping. McKinsey pleaded not guilty to the child abuse charges. By September 2025, he was limited to two hours of supervised visits per week with his children. A judge granted Candice Jang’s petition for a domestic violence temporary restraining order against McKinsey in October 2025.

What's New

Later reporting indicates that Jonathan McKinsey, a New York Times engineering director, was fatally shot on September 27, 2026, in the parking lot of the Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California. Dublin Police Services are investigating the case, and Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen were arrested on September 27, 2026, following the shooting. A Dublin Police officer discovered McKinsey lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds, and police later arrested Zhang and Chen on suspicion of murder.

Witnesses reported that Zhang and Chen took turns shooting McKinsey. Court documents from 2025 reveal that Shili Chen had previously been named in a custody dispute involving her daughter Candice Jang and McKinsey, where she was accused of making derogatory remarks toward McKinsey’s transgender identity. In 2023, Chen was listed as a victim in a domestic dispute involving her daughter and McKinsey, where police were called to the home due to allegations of verbal abuse and threats. Shouyong Zhang was alleged in court filings to have directed anti-LGBTQ+ slurs at McKinsey and one of their children. Chen had previously been involved in a domestic violence incident in 2018, where she was accused of physically abusing McKinsey, according to court records.

Why It Matters

The arrest of Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen connects a fatal shooting to a documented history of family conflict, domestic violence allegations, and legal disputes involving transgender identity. The charges of first-degree murder, felony conspiracy, and child endangerment reflect the severity of the act and the alleged premeditation described by witnesses. The case shows the intersection of family law proceedings, including custody battles and restraining orders, with violent criminal outcomes.

The investigation by Dublin Police Services and the subsequent arraignment schedule demonstrate the judicial process following the incident. The lack of prior violent crime at the Dublin Sports Grounds contrasts with the nature of this event, while the historical domestic incidents involving both the victim and the suspects provide context for the longstanding tensions within the family. The holding of the suspects without bail reflects the perceived risk they pose to the community and the integrity of the legal proceedings.