Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old director of engineering at New York Times Games, was shot and killed in broad daylight in the parking lot of a busy sports complex in Dublin, California, with police arresting his two parents-in-law within minutes.
The shooting happened at about 3:08 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, at the Dublin Sports Grounds, 6700 Dublin Boulevard, according to Dublin Police Services.
A police sergeant was driving near the sports grounds when he spotted a man lying in the parking lot. At roughly the same time, dispatchers began receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting.
McKinsey Found With Multiple Gunshot Wounds
Officers found McKinsey in the middle of the parking lot suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel responded, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses then helped officers locate two people who had remained nearby. Police said the pair were detained within minutes of the shooting.
The suspects were identified as Shouyong Zhang, 77, and Shili Chen, 77, both residents of Dublin. Police confirmed that the two are married and are McKinseyâs parents-in-law.
Both were arrested on suspicion of murder and booked into Santa Rita Jail. Dublin Police said there were no outstanding suspects and no known continuing threat to the public.
Police also credited people at the scene for helping officers quickly identify and locate the suspects, saying witness cooperation was critical to the arrests.
Witnesses Describe Gunfire in Busy Parking Lot
The shooting happened during the afternoon at a community sports complex used for baseball, softball, soccer and other activities. The incident comes amid a number of recent violent cases across the US, including a Sanford, Florida shooting in which six people were shot during a family gathering.
Dublin resident Assad Razawi told the San Francisco Chronicle that he was nearby buying groceries when he heard around five or six gunshots.
Razawi said he then saw a man fall in the parking lot. He described seeing a man and a woman walking away from the area before witnesses directed responding officers toward them.
Another eyewitness account reported by local media alleged that a man fired at McKinsey before handing a firearm to a woman, who then also fired. The witness also claimed the pair were wearing masks.
Police have not publicly confirmed that sequence of events and have not said which suspect allegedly fired the weapon or described the specific role each person is accused of playing.
The location added to the shock surrounding the case. Dublin Sports Grounds is a large community facility with sports fields, a playground and picnic areas, making it an area that can be busy with families and local sports activity.
Who Was Jonathan McKinsey?
McKinsey worked as a director of engineering for New York Times Games, according to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGATE.
He joined the Timesâ games engineering operation in 2023 and later became director of engineering for Games Player Experience.
His previous engineering work included roles at Oracle, Coursera, Ultimate Kronos Group and Splunk. He had also taught computer science part-time at Georgia Tech and the University of California, Berkeley.
Public records reviewed by local media show that McKinsey and his wife had been involved in family court proceedings before his death.
His wife sought a domestic violence restraining order against him in October 2025, while McKinsey later sought a restraining order against her and filed for divorce. The couple were also involved in child-custody litigation.
McKinsey had separately been charged in 2025 with two misdemeanor child-abuse-related counts and had pleaded not guilty. Those proceedings were separate from the homicide investigation.
Police have not said that the divorce proceedings, custody dispute, domestic allegations or earlier criminal case were connected to the shooting.
No motive has been publicly announced.
Dublin Police said detectives are continuing to examine evidence to determine the circumstances that led to McKinseyâs death.
Editorâs Note: Police have not publicly released a motive in Jonathan McKinseyâs killing. Some details in this report, including the alleged sequence of gunfire and background court disputes, come from witness accounts and public court records reported by local media. Those details have not all been independently confirmed by investigators, and the earlier family and legal disputes have not been officially linked to the shooting.
Anyone with information related to the case has been asked to contact Dublin Police Services Sgt. Ahmad Mateen at 925-786-7989.
Make Swikblog your go-to source on Google for reliable updates, smart insights, and daily trends.
