NYT exec Jonathan McKinsey allegedly threatened wife, scared kids before in-laws shot him: Docs

DUBLIN, CALIFORNIA: New York Times executive Jonathan McKinsey was allegedly embroiled in a bitter custody battle and facing accusations of abuse before he was fatally shot in a California parking lot.

Court documents have now detailed his estranged wife, Candice Jang’s, claims that he had threatened to kill her and her parents and had given their children a book about a mother’s death.

McKinsey, 40, was allegedly shot by Jang’s parents, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, at Dublin Sports Grounds on Saturday, September 26. The couple allegedly opened fire on McKinsey in the parking lot, with witnesses describing the shooting.

Jonathan McKinsey faced abuse claims amid custody battle

Jang and McKinsey had been married since 2010 and were in the middle of a divorce and custody dispute. Jang filed for divorce in 2025, alleging that McKinsey had become abusive toward her and one of their children.

In an August custody filing, Jang described what it was like living with McKinsey, claiming that she and the children had learned to avoid making him angry.

“During our marriage, the children and I learned to avoid provoking Jonathan lest he became angry. In my experience, appearing agreeable or happy around him was sometimes a means of avoiding his anger,” she wrote.

Jang had also filed for a restraining order against McKinsey in 2025. He subsequently filed for one against her that same year.

McKinsey was charged with two misdemeanor counts of child abuse in connection with an incident involving the family. He was ultimately released from jail on the condition that he attend parenting classes.

The couple had three children, aged 3, 5 and 7, and were scheduled to return to court over their custody dispute on Friday, September 25, shortly after McKinsey was killed.

Candice Jang details disturbing claims against husband

One of the more striking claims in Jang’s court filing involved a book McKinsey allegedly gave their children. Jang said the book, which was given to the children as a birthday present, was about a young girl mourning the death of her mother.

She said the subject matter became frightening to her because of what she claimed were McKinsey’s previous threats.

“Jonathan dismisses my concern about a book he provided to the children concerning the death of a mother. He omits the context that makes the conduct frightening to me. Jonathan has previously threatened to kill me and my parents,” Jang said in the filing.

She added that, given the alleged threats against her life, she found the choice of book “deeply disturbing and frightening.”

Jang also accused McKinsey of blaming others for problems rather than taking responsibility for his actions. The allegations emerged as the estranged couple continued to battle over custody and testimony in court.

Jonathan McKinsey and wife filed restraining orders

The custody dispute had already involved competing restraining orders and allegations before the fatal shooting.

Jang submitted another filing updating the court on the custody matter and addressing what she described as false testimony from McKinsey. McKinsey joined The New York Times in early 2023 as a senior engineering manager for its games platform.

He later became the director of engineering for games player experience in late 2025. Court filings also state that McKinsey transitioned from female to male in 2010. He and Jang married around that time and later had three children.

According to the provided reports, authorities are examining the family conflict as a possible motive in the shooting. 

The shooting took place at Dublin Sports Grounds, where McKinsey was allegedly confronted by his elderly in-laws. Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen have been accused of opening fire on him.