John Barnett, a whistleblower engaged in a legal battle against Boeing, has been found dead
He was found dead last week in Charleston, SC, in what investigators believe to be a suicide.
His body was discovered in his truck in a hotel parking lot, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. While police are investigating, there is no confirmation of foul play.
Barnett, who had been a Boeing employee for 32 years, was actively involved in a whistleblower lawsuit against the aerospace company.
He alleged retaliation from Boeing for raising concerns about what he described as compromising safety standards on the assembly lines for their planes.
Barnett’s concerns were not new, and he recently appeared on “TMZ Live” to discuss issues related to Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft.
He pointed to incidents like the door blowing off a 737 flight in January, emphasizing that he had witnessed Boeing overlooking safety concerns for an extended period.
As a former quality manager at Boeing, Barnett expressed his lack of surprise regarding the mishaps and criticized Boeing for, as he alleged, disregarding safety for years.
He raised concerns about the rapid approval for Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft to resume flights after incidents like the one involving Alaska Airlines, suggesting it might have been unsafe.
At the time of his death, Barnett was in the midst of depositions for his lawsuit against Boeing.
The company has also released a statement expressing sadness over his passing.
John Barnett was 62 years old.
