Mother-in-Law Accused of Killing “N.Y. Times” Executive Claims He Threatened to Have Her Killed by Hitman: LawyerSamira Asma-SadequeWed, October 21, 2026 at 9:16 PM UTC
Jonathan McKinsey (left); and Shili Chen.Credit: Jonathan McKinsey/Facebook; Alameda County Sheriff's Office
Jonathan McKinsey’s in-laws are accused of taking turns shooting him to death in Dublin, Calif., on Sept. 26
Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang have pleaded not guilty to murder charges
Chen’s lawyer says the couple bought firearms months before the killing because they feared for their own safety and that of their grandchildren
The lawyer for an elderly California woman says she was “absolutely concerned” about her safety before allegedly killing her son-in-law near a park last month.
The victim, 40-year-old Jonathan McKinsey, was found fatally shot in the parking lot outside a Dublin, Calif. park in broad daylight on Sept. 26.
Authorities arrested his parents-in-law Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, accused of taking turns to shoot McKinsey in the vicinity of several children, according to police records previously obtained by PEOPLE.
Court records detailed a volatile relationship between McKinsey, his estranged wife and her parents, including allegations of transphobic abuse and a bitter custody dispute.
Now, Chen’s lawyer claims she feared for her life and the safety of her grandchildren, according to NBC News.
Her attorney Curtis Briggs told NBC Bay Area that the couple did not carry out a premeditated killing but were instead “concerned grandparents” who had witnessed something that had alarmed them, which Briggs did not specify.
Briggs alleged McKinsey had threatened Chen’s life three times, according to NBC Bay Area, WAVY and ABC 7.
Briggs alleged that one of the threats involved a hitman, while the other two involved McKinsey allegedly saying he would “get rid of” Chen, WAVY reported.
PEOPLE has not independently verified Briggs’ allegations.
He claimed the elderly couple bought two firearms, later found in their car at the time of their arrest, in March for their own protection.
Shouyong Zhang (left); and Shili Chen.Credit: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office
The months leading up to the killing were marred by bitter disputes that escalated to legal proceedings between the victim and the alleged killers’ family, including separate restraining orders obtained by McKinsey and his wife against each other, The Mercury News, SFGate and the previously reported, citing court documents.
In his petition, McKinsey accused Zhang of punching him in the chest following his double mastectomy as part of his gender transition procedures in 2010, KTVU previously reported.
That same year, following one procedure during that process, McKinsey’s partner allegedly tried to pull out his medical tubes, according to the petition, as cited by The Mercury News. The two got married the following year, AP reported.
McKinsey himself had faced allegations of abuse, according to online court records, which showed child cruelty charges stemming from 2025.
His wife accused him of assaulting her and the children. McKinsey had not been charged in connection with an alleged assault on his wife. He pleaded not guilty to the child abuse charges.
Jonathan McKinsey.Credit: Jonathan McKinsey/Facebook
McKinsey was the Head of Engineering for New York Times Games, the company previously confirmed to PEOPLE.
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The elderly couple was still nearby when police responded to multiple 911 calls about the shooting. During an interview with police, Zhang allegedly admitted to shooting McKinsey.
Chen and Zhang have been charged with murder.
Their online court records were inaccessible on the afternoon of Oct. 21, but ABC 7, WAVY and NBC Bay Area reported they have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Source: Crime