Jonathan McKinsey, 40, the director of engineering for games player experience at the New York Times, was shot and killed in broad daylight at a suburban park in Dublin, California — a small city roughly 35 miles east of San Francisco — on Saturday afternoon. His parents-in-law, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77 years old, were arrested on suspicion of murder shortly after the attack and are being held at the Santa Rita jail.

McKinsey was found with multiple gunshot wounds by a passing police officer at the Dublin Sports Grounds at around 3:00 p.m. local time. Witnesses called 911 to report the shooting and told investigators that the couple had been wearing masks and that each had taken a turn firing at the victim before calmly walking away. An officer apprehended them nearby, still at the scene, within minutes. McKinsey was pronounced dead at the location, and his death was confirmed by the New York Times, where he had led engineering for the games department for nearly four years.

Zhang and Chen face multiple serious charges, including first-degree murder, felony conspiracy, wilful discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, and child endangerment. They are scheduled to be formally arraigned on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear whether the couple has legal representation. Police have not disclosed a motive for the killing.

Court records cited in local media reports indicate that McKinsey and his wife had been engaged in a legal dispute involving child custody and allegations of domestic and child abuse, though investigators have not publicly connected that dispute to the shooting. The child endangerment charge against the couple suggests that a minor may have been present or at risk during the incident.

The killing is a rare event for Dublin, a predominantly residential city in the East Bay area that typically records only one homicide per year. The case has drawn national attention both because of McKinsey's prominent professional role and the striking circumstances of the attack — a premeditated, daytime shooting carried out by two elderly individuals against their own son-in-law in a public space with multiple witnesses present.