New York Post
· collected 2026-10-01 · by David Thompson, Ross O'Keefe
Curtis Briggs, attorney for Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang—the alleged killers of New York Times executive Jonathan McKinsey—described McKinsey as a violent abuser during court proceedings on Thursday in Alameda County. According to Briggs, McKinsey had previously abused his wife Candice Jang so severely that her spine was fractured and he was ordered to take parenting classes due to child abuse allegations. Prosecutors have charged Chen and Zhang with murder, including special circumstances like lying in wait, while Briggs aims to explore "blaming the victim" as a defense strategy.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-01,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Jonathan McKinsey, 40, the head of engineering for games player experience at New York Times, was shot dead in the parking lot of Dublin Sports Grounds on Saturday around 3pm. Eyewitnesses reported seeing two masked assailants, identified as his elderly Chinese in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, take turns shooting McKinsey. The couple were arrested shortly after by a passing police officer.
McKinsey had been working at the New York Times since 2023. Police are investigating potential motives including allegations of child abuse and domestic violence against his wife, Candice Jang. Court documents revealed conflicts over being transgender and McKinsey's alleged mistreatment of their children. The elderly couple faces charges of murder, felony conspiracy, child endangerment, and dangerously firing a gun.
The incident shocked the local community due to its brutality in broad daylight near families with children. McKinsey’s body was found lying in the parking lot, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. An arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday.
Written for “NYT Exec Shot By In-Laws” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 29 other(s) covering the same event.
The attorney for the alleged killer in-laws painted a drastically different picture Thursday of the transgender New York Times executive gunned down in a Northern California parking lot.
asserted
attorney → allege → lot
Curtis Briggs stood in front of the court where Jonathan McKinsey’s mother-in-law Shili Chen and father-in-law Shouyong Zhang were attending proceedings Thursday — and told reporters the victim had “rained hell on his family for years.”
asserted
victim → stand → years
“He was extremely rageful, could not control his temper, abused his wife so badly at one point he fractured her spine, abused the kids so badly that a court in Alameda County had to send him to parenting classes,” Briggs said.
uncertain
Briggs → control → classes
“McKinsey was extremely violent and dangerous to his family,” he added.
asserted
he → add → family
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asserted
Sign → sign → California
McKinsey faced allegations of spousal abuse and domestic violence from wife Candice Jang, well before he died Sept. 26, after Zhang and Chen allegedly shot him to death.
uncertain
Zhang → face → death
The New York Times employee was charged last year on two counts of misdemeanor child abuse for the incident, but was ultimately released from jail on the condition that he take parenting classes.
asserted
he → charge → classes
Jang called the police after McKinsey allegedly hit their young son.
uncertain
McKinsey → call → son
The California Post spotted Jang at her Dublin home on Wednesday and attempted to speak with her.
asserted
Post → spot → her
A friend with her told The Post that she’s in “survival mode” and has “nothing to say” about her husband’s death.
asserted
she → tell → death
Briggs told reporters that while the couple did not enter a plea on Thursday, they do plan to enter a not guilty plea.
asserted
they → tell → plea
Prosecutors charged them both with murder with a series of special circumstances and allegations, including lying in wait.
asserted
Prosecutors → charge → wait
The lawyer suggested he may work toward “blaming the victim” as he looks into court documents.
uncertain
he → suggest → documents
“Not yet, but once we do an investigation, that may be what happens,” he said.
uncertain
he → do → investigation
Briggs, in turn, portrayed the grandparents as loving and devoted to their family and each other.
asserted
Briggs → portray → family
He pointed out a moment in court Thursday where he said Zhang put on Chen’s earpiece for her after a Mandarin interpreter handed it to her and she could not put it on.
uncertain
she → point → it
“I just thought, ‘Wow, this is completely inconsistent with what the allegations are,'” he said.
asserted
he → think → ?
The lawyer said Chen weighs 80 pounds, is frail, and is a “loving, devoted grandmother.”
asserted
Chen → say → pounds
Officials say Chen and Zhang murdered McKinsey in a cold-blooded ambush-style attack where both grandparents took turns firing at him.
asserted
grandparents → say → him
A family member told The Post he would bet that the in-laws murdered McKinsey so Jang could have sole custody of their three kids.
uncertain
Jang → tell → kids
Briggs sought to redirect speculation to the slain father.
asserted
Briggs → seek → father
“I can’t make a comment about that right now,” Briggs said in response to a question about whether the grandparents acted on behalf of Jang.
asserted
grandparents → make → Jang
“I don’t know.
asserted
I → know → ?
That’s speculation that’s going around in the public.
asserted
that → ’ → public
All I know is that Mr. McKenzie had a reputation terrorizing his family, extremely violent, volatile, rageful, and he was a dangerous person.”
asserted
he → know → family
The Aporia
