East Bay Park Slaying Caught On Video — 77-Year-Old Admits Shooting Son-In-Law: Police

DUBLIN, CA — A 77-year-old Dublin man admitted to police that he shot his son-in-law Saturday at the Dublin Sports Grounds, according to newly filed court records.

Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, a 77-year-old married couple, were charged Wednesday with murder, along with several enhancements and special circumstance allegations. Prosecutors allege that both Zhang and Chen intentionally killed Jonathan McKinsey, 40, by lying in wait and personally firing guns during the attack.

According to a probable cause declaration filed by Dublin police, officers responded to several 911 calls Saturday and arrived to find a man, identified as Jonathan McKinsey, lying on the ground face up, suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead at the scene by medical crews.

Witnesses told officers that a black Honda Civic was traveling westbound through the parking lot toward Civic Plaza. Police initiated a “high-risk” stop on the vehicle, and the two suspects were detained. The driver was later identified as Shili Chen. Police said that Chen had a firearm in her possession when she was detained.

According to police, three witnesses positively identified Chen and Zhang as the same people responsible for the shooting. Police said that recovered surveillance video showed Chen and Zhang shooting McKinsey “in concert.” Police also allege that Zhang admitted to shooting McKinsey in a later police interview .

Police also said that they found a second firearm in the car during a search, which Zhang admitted to using. Chen reportedly invoked her Miranda rights and did not speak with investigators.

The criminal complaint charges Chen and Zhang with murder, and alleges the special circumstance that they intentionally killed McKinsey by lying in wait. Prosecutors also allege that both suspects personally and intentionally discharged firearms, causing McKinsey great bodily injury and death. The complaint includes several aggravating factors, including that the crime involved great violence or bodily harm, that the defendants were armed or used weapons, and that the defendants engaged in “violent conduct that indicates a serious danger to society.”

In the probable cause declarations, police said Chen and Zhang carried out the shooting in a crowded park parking lot, showing “blatant disregard for public safety”, while several children were present.

If convicted as charged, Zhang and Chen face life in prison without the possibility of parole, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Both Zhang and Chen are being held at Santa Rita Jail without bail. Their arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday morning, but a court employee told Patch the hearing is expected later Wednesday afternoon.

The victim, Jonathan McKinsey, was embroiled in a contentious divorce and custody battle with the suspects’ daughter, Candice Jang. Both Jang and McKinsey had filed petitions for restraining orders against one another, with each accusing the other of abuse involving themselves or their children. McKinsey was also facing misdemeanor child-abuse charges, which he had denied.

In a petition for a restraining order, McKinsey, a transgender man, also alleged that Chen had directed anti-LGBTQ slurs at him and his children, and that Zhang had punched him in the chest when he was recovering from a double mastectomy surgery.

SEE ALSO:

• Graphic Abuse Allegations Emerge In Dublin Killing Of Newspaper Exec: Reports
• NY Times Executive Killed At Dublin Sports Grounds; New Details Emerge: Reports
• 2 77-Year-Olds Accused Of Killing Son-In-Law In Dublin