Whistleblower who had previously worked for Boeing was discovered dead from an apparent suicide

Authorities in South Carolina say a former employee of Boeing who had voiced worries about the company’s manufacturing problems was discovered dead from what seemed to be a suicide.

The South Carolina office of the Charleston County coroner’s office announced on Tuesday that John Barnett, 62, had self-inflicted gunshot wounds and passed away. The BBC has covered Barnett’s attempts to bring attention to the business’s manufacturing problems. Barnett had been employed by Boeing for 32 years before he left the company in 2017.

The coroner’s office said that the Charleston City police are looking into the matter.

Attorneys Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles said that Barnett was in the midst of a deposition in an ongoing whistleblower retaliation action against Boeing. He seemed to be in a really positive frame of mind and was eager to move beyond this stage of his life. There was no sign that he might commit suicide. It’s unbelievable, everyone said.

Barnett worked for Boeing as a quality manager. According to his lawyers, he “exposed very serious safety problems with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and was subjected to a hostile work environment and retaliation.” “We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” Boeing said in a statement.

After a panel on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 burst off in midair on January 5, exposing passengers to the outside air and necessitating an emergency landing, Barnett talked with media outlets. Since then, Boeing has faced a serious dilemma with its quality and safety standards.