Daijiworld Media Network - Dublin

Dublin, Sep 29: A couple in their 70s were arrested after their son-in-law was shot dead at a sports complex in Dublin, California, over the weekend, authorities said.

Jonathan McKinsey, 40, a gaming engineer with The New York Times, was shot in the parking lot of the sports complex on Saturday afternoon. A police sergeant driving nearby found McKinsey on the ground as witnesses called 911 and pointed officers towards the couple, according to Dublin Police Services.

Authorities arrested Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 76 and residents of Dublin, on suspicion of murder and other charges. They were scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear whether either had obtained legal representation.

The shooting occurred a week before a scheduled hearing in McKinsey's divorce and custody case involving his wife, Candice Jang. The couple had been married since around 2012 and had three young children, according to court records.

Court documents show that Jang reported McKinsey to police in 2023, accusing him of shoving one of their children and using rough physical discipline. She obtained a domestic violence protection order against him last October after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanour child abuse in another case.

McKinsey responded by seeking a protection order against his wife and filing for divorce. He later sought increased visitation with their three children, having been limited to two hours of supervised visits each week since last fall.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, McKinsey, who was transgender, alleged in his protection-order petition that Chen had directed anti-LGBTQ+ slurs at him and one of the children. He also accused Jang of abusive behaviour during medical procedures related to his transition.

At the time of his death, McKinsey was out on bail and had been seeking entry into a mental health diversion programme, the Mercury News reported.

McKinsey joined The New York Times in January 2023 and served as director of engineering for New York Times Games. He was based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A spokesperson for the newspaper declined to comment further.