New York Times Executive Fatally Shot in California Amid Contentious Divorce and Custody Battle

• by Shimanta Das
• October 1, 2026

DUBLIN, Calif. — A New York Times executive was fatally shot in a California parking lot on Saturday, allegedly by his elderly in-laws, in what prosecutors describe as a pre-planned ambush stemming from a bitter divorce and custody dispute. Jonathan McKinsey, 40, the director of engineering for New York Times Games, was found with multiple gunshot wounds behind the open trunk of an SUV at a sports complex in Dublin, a city in Northern California’s East Bay. A police sergeant driving near the complex discovered McKinsey around the same time dispatchers began receiving 911 calls reporting a shooting at the busy park, which includes sports fields, a playground, and is near the city’s library and police department.

On Wednesday, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, were charged with murder and enhancements alleging intentional discharge of a firearm. They also face a lying-in-wait enhancement, which carries a potential sentence of life without the possibility of parole. The married couple remained near the scene after the shooting and were taken into custody. Authorities say the victim was embroiled in a contentious custody battle with the suspects’ daughter at the time of his death.

McKinsey, who was married and in the midst of a divorce, was gunned down in broad daylight at the sports complex, according to police. The suspects, both in their 70s, allegedly used two guns in the attack. The case has shocked the local community and drawn national attention due to McKinsey’s prominent role at The New York Times, where he oversaw engineering for the company’s popular Games division, including its crossword and other puzzles.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not released further details about the circumstances leading up to the shooting. The charges against Zhang and Chen mark a tragic escalation of what prosecutors call a premeditated ambush, highlighting the devastating consequences of domestic disputes. The New York Times has not yet issued a public statement on the death of its executive.