Cousin of murdered transgender New York times executive gives theory on why his in-laws allegedly did it

The cousin of the murdered transgender New York Times executive gave his theory on a possible motive after he was allegedly gunned down by his in-laws.Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was shot multiple times and killed in a parking lot at Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California, on Saturday.Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, were arrested on multiple charges, including murder, after police say they took turns shooting him.McKinsey, the head of engineering for games player experience at the New York Times since 2023, was locked in a bitter custody battle with his estranged wife Candice Jang, Zhang and Chen's daughter.Lovell Garner, McKinsey's cousin, was asked by the California Post if he believed that the in-laws were driven to support his wife's custody bid.'I'd lay a lot of money on that,' Garner told the outlet. 'It's unbelievable that they would put themselves on the line like that for her.'The cousin was still rattled by the news of McKinsey's death while speaking to the outlet.'Well, it's all still pretty fresh for me, still. So far, everyone in my immediate family is completely shocked,' Garner said.Jonathan McKinsey, 40, the head of engineering for games at the New York Times, suffered multiple gunshot wounds in a parking lot in Dublin, California, on SaturdayMcKinsey's in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, are accused of fatally shooting him'It seems obvious that they were done with him since they killed him. Not sure what would make them do something that extreme.'Garner explained that he lost contact with his cousin for several years and reached out to him a year ago after hearing that he was going through a rough patch.He described McKinsey as a 'very smart' and 'outgoing' person but added that he remembered his cousin more from before his transition.The executive was previously known as Dawn Finney before he transitioned in 2010, according to the Post.He married Jang in 2011, and they were together until December 2025, when Jang filed for divorce.That same year, she filed a domestic violence prevention order against her spouse.The wife accused him of physically, verbally and emotionally abusing her and their three young children, according to the protection order filed in Alameda County Court in October 2025 and obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle.She claimed she suffered abuse at McKinsey's hands over a 17-year period and detailed more than a dozen alleged attacks between November 2020 and July 2025 alone. Lovell Garner, McKinsey's cousin, told the California Post he would 'lay a lot of money on' the in-laws being driven to allegedly kill the executive to support his wife's custody bidA protection order was granted by the judge, records show.McKinsey was charged with cruelty to a child by endangering health and corporal injury to a child, both misdemeanors, and was freed on $50,000 bail.At the time of his murder, he had also been trying to enter a mental health diversion program, which would have resulted in the charges being dropped upon completion, according to the Mercury News.But McKinsey claimed in his own court filings that Jang was the one who had been abusive for more than 15 years.In 2013, he claimed she beat him with a frying pan, according to the court documents. He also accused Jang of verbally denigrating the children.He alleged that Chen, Jang's mother, was verbally abusive to one of the couple's young children, raising objections over the child's clothing.McKinsey further accused his in-laws of making derogatory remarks about his gender transition.He claimed Chen directed anti-LGBTQ+ slurs at him and the child, referring first to the child and then to McKinsey as a 'disgusting queer' and a 'pervert.'McKinsey had worked in games tech for the New York Times since 2023Images showed the suspects being taken into custody by the side of the road, after they were reportedly flagged down by stunned witnesses to a nearby police sergeant Witnesses said the elderly couple walked calmly away from the scene of the shooting, and they were arrested after being tracked to a black sedan (above) at a nearby intersection The executive further accused Jang of being abusive during medical procedures related to his transition, claiming that at one point she tried to pull medical tubes from his body shortly after he had his breasts removed, according to the Mercury News.He also alleged that Jang's father, who was not named in the filing, punched him in the chest while he was recovering from the double mastectomy.On the day of McKinsey's death, witnesses reported seeing two masked shooters approach McKinsey in the parking lot and take turns unloading a barrage of shots into him before they 'calmly' walked away.Images showed the suspects being taken into custody by the side of the road after they were reportedly flagged down by stunned witnesses to a nearby police sergeant.Zhang and Chen have since been booked into Alameda County's Santa Rita Jail and are being held without bail on charges including murder, felony conspiracy, child endangerment and dangerously firing a gun.Zhang and Chen's arraignment has been scheduled for Wednesday.The Daily Mail has reached out to Garner, The New York Times, Dublin Police and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office for comment.