A California park turned into a shocking crime scene over the weekend after a man was fatally shot in broad daylight, with police arresting his elderly in-laws in connection with the killing.
Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was found with multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California, shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday, according to authorities and local reports. McKinsey was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police identified his in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, as the suspects. The married couple was arrested near the park shortly after the shooting and booked into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder. Authorities also listed additional allegations involving child endangerment and conspiracy to commit a crime in connection with the investigation.
What makes the case even more disturbing is what witnesses reportedly saw.
According to local reporting, witnesses told KTVU that Zhang and Chen allegedly took turns shooting McKinsey. One witness said he heard several gunshots before seeing McKinsey fall to the ground.
That detail has been widely reported, but authorities have not publicly confirmed which suspect fired the shots or whether both suspects fired a weapon. The investigation remains active.
The shooting happened in a public area that was reportedly busy with families and children. Witness Kevin Stein told KTVU that the parking lot was normally crowded on Saturdays and expressed disbelief that the shooting allegedly happened in front of so many people.
A Dublin police sergeant was reportedly driving near the sports complex when he saw McKinsey lying in the parking lot. At roughly the same time, multiple witnesses were calling 911 and directing officers toward the people they believed were involved.
Police were able to locate Zhang and Chen nearby within minutes.
Video obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle showed officers taking both suspects into custody near the intersection of Civic Plaza and Dublin Boulevard. The footage reportedly showed Chen being ordered to walk backward with her hands raised before officers handcuffed her. Zhang was also taken into custody nearby.
McKinsey worked as the director of engineering for The New York Times Games and had been with the company since 2023. Before joining The New York Times, he held engineering positions with several technology companies and organizations.
But behind his professional career was an increasingly bitter family dispute.
McKinsey and his wife, Candice Jang, were in the middle of a contentious divorce and custody battle involving their three children. Court records show that both sides had made allegations against each other and had sought protective orders. A family-law hearing had reportedly been scheduled for October 2, just days after McKinsey’s death.
McKinsey had also been facing misdemeanor child-abuse charges stemming from allegations involving one of the couple’s children. According to court records cited by the San Francisco Chronicle, Jang reported that McKinsey allegedly struck their 6-year-old son in the face. McKinsey pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court records also contain allegations made by McKinsey against his wife and her family. He accused Jang of abusing him and alleged that members of her family had mistreated him. Those allegations were disputed and formed part of the broader legal conflict between the couple.
Despite the complicated family history, investigators have not publicly confirmed that the divorce or custody dispute was the motive for the shooting.
As of the latest reports, authorities were still working to determine exactly what happened before McKinsey was killed and what led to the confrontation at the park.
The Dublin Police Department credited witnesses and members of the community for helping officers quickly locate the suspects.
Dublin Sports Grounds was temporarily closed during the investigation before reopening.
Zhang and Chen remain accused of murder, and the case is expected to move forward through the California court system. Their arrests are allegations, and they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
For now, investigators are continuing to piece together what happened in those chaotic moments in the middle of a busy California park — while a family dispute that had already been playing out in court has now turned deadly.