A 40-year-old transgender man, Jonathan McKinsey, was allegedly killed by his mother-in-law and father-in-law on Saturday in the parking lot of a park in Dublin, California.
The two elderly individuals, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, reportedly took turns shooting McKinsey according to court documents.
McKinsey, who transitioned from female to male in 2010 and married Candice Jang in 2011, had been estranged from his wife. The couple was set to appear in court over child custody matters prior to the incident.
Chen, McKinsey’s mother-in-law, allegedly blamed him for her grandson wanting to wear dresses belonging to his sister Alexis. She reportedly called the boy a “disgusting queer” and a “pervert,” and hit him in the head when he expressed that desire. When McKinsey pleaded with Chen to stop, she used the same derogatory terms directed at him.
McKinsey had filed restraining orders against Jang, alleging abuse including pushing him toward suicide due to his transgender identity. Jang, meanwhile, had previously filed a restraining order against McKinsey in 2025 after he allegedly threatened her and her parents.
Alameda County prosecutors charged McKinsey with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse following an incident where he reportedly hit their six-year-old son in the face. McKinsey pleaded not guilty to those charges and was released on probation, including taking parenting classes.
Zhang and Chen were arrested shortly after McKinsey’s death and are now booked into Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of murder. They face charges including first-degree murder, felony conspiracy, dangerously firing a gun, and child endangerment that could have caused major injury or death.
The incident occurred amid ongoing family tensions between McKinsey and Jang, who filed for divorce in 2025 after allegations of abuse by McKinsey toward their three children.
