Family Tragedy: NY Times Executive Shot in Divorce Conflict
A Facebook message from a father to his son surfaced amid a tragic incident involving a New York Times executive. Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was reportedly killed in a planned ambush by his 77-year-old in-laws in a California park.
On September 7, McKinsey posted a smiling photo on Facebook. His father, William Finney II, left a hopeful comment for a family reunion, expressing love and longing for McKinsey, his wife Candice, and their children.
Jon, hope everything is going well. Hope you can visit us when you have some free time. Mom and Dad love you so much and miss you.
Less than three weeks later, authorities allege McKinsey was shot by his in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, in a parking lot ambush at Dublin Sports Grounds. Prosecutors claim the couple planned the attack, waiting to confront McKinsey.
A sergeant from Dublin Police Services arrived to find McKinsey with multiple gunshot wounds. Witnesses saw a black Honda Civic driven by Chen with Zhang as a passenger leaving the scene. Police conducted a high-risk stop based on witness descriptions.
Court documents reveal three witnesses identified Chen and Zhang as shooters. Surveillance footage captured the couple allegedly firing together at McKinsey, endangering bystanders, including children.
Zhang admitted to shooting McKinsey during questioning. Authorities recovered a firearm Zhang confessed to using. This incident unfolded amid McKinsey’s divorce and custody battles with estranged wife, Candice Jang.
The couple was involved in ongoing legal disputes, including hearings for a family law status conference and a domestic violence restraining order set in the following months. After a 14-year marriage, McKinsey filed for divorce in December. Jang had sole custody of their three children.
Both parties accused each other of domestic violence, with Jang obtaining a restraining order in October 2025. McKinsey applied for his own order shortly after. He accused Jang of abuse and expressed concerns that she might harm their children to prevent him from gaining custody.
McKinsey, a transgender man, also reported conflicts with his in-laws, alleging anti-LGBTQ slurs by his mother-in-law, Chen, and physical assault by Zhang in 2010.
Jang’s protection request highlighted fears of retaliation by McKinsey, who was charged with misdemeanors for allegedly harming his children. Despite these issues, a judge allowed unsupervised public visits with the children.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Jang’s home as part of the investigation, though details were not released. Legal representation for Zhang and Chen remains unclear. Attempts to contact McKinsey’s family for comment were unsuccessful.