NYT executive shot dead: Bombshell gender transition, divorce and custody battle details out, ‘He threatened to kill…’
A transgender New York Times executive was killed allegedly by his 77-year-old in-laws in a Bay Area parking lot during daylight hours. He had previously made alleged threats against his wife and extended family members, as documented in court filings.
Jonathan McKinsey was killed allegedly by in-laws amid child custody dispute. (Jonathan McKinsey/Facebook)Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was fatally shot by Shouyong Zhang, 77, and Shili Chen, 77, who eyewitnesses report alternately discharged firearms at him in the parking facility at Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California on Saturday afternoon.
In an August custody petition, McKinsey's wife Candice Jang said, “During our marriage, the children and I learned to avoid provoking Jonathan lest he became angry. In my experience, appearing agreeable or happy around him was sometimes a means of avoiding his anger," as per court document obtained by the California Post.
Jang and McKinsey entered into marriage in 2010. However, she initiated divorce proceedings in 2025 following allegations that he engaged in abusive behavior toward her and one of their young sons.
Jang asserted that McKinsey had recently given a book to their three children depicting a mother's death.
“Jonathan dismisses my concern about a book he provided to the children concerning the death of a mother. He omits the context that makes the conduct frightening to me. Jonathan has previously threatened to kill me and my parents,” she stated in the documents.
Jang went on to explain that her husband had a tendency to point fingers at others for every issue instead of owning up to his own role in the problems.
McKinsey initiated divorce proceedings last year and was engaged in a contentious custody dispute with Jang. He faced allegations of mistreating Jang and their three children aged 3, 5, and 7.
Jang obtained a restraining order against McKinsey in 2025, and he responded by filing his own restraining order during that same year.
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McKinsey faced two misdemeanor charges related to child abuse stemming from the incident. However, he was discharged from custody contingent upon completing mandatory parenting education.
Jang filed a supplementary motion with the court to provide updates regarding the custody matter and to contest what she characterized as perjured statements made by her spouse.
The former executive underwent a gender transition from female to male in 2010 and then married Jang in 2011. The estranged couple was scheduled to appear in court this Friday regarding custody matters before the shooting occurred.
Jang joined the New York Times in early 2023 as a senior engineering manager overseeing the games platform and advanced to director of engineering for games player experience by late 2025.
Law enforcement officials have identified the family dispute as a potential motive in the serious incident involving the elderly couple who allegedly discharged firearms at McKinsey.
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More
