The death of John Barnett, a former Boeing quality control manager turned whistleblower, is under investigation by Charleston police. Barnett’s body was discovered in a vehicle parked at a Holiday Inn in Charleston on Saturday, following his testimony in a deposition regarding safety concerns he raised about Boeing’s commercial airplanes.
According to police reports, officers responded to the hotel for a welfare check after Barnett’s contacts were unable to reach him. Upon arrival, officers found Barnett with a fatal gunshot wound to the head, pronouncing him dead at the scene.
Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal stated that Barnett, 62, appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Barnett, who had retired to Louisiana after a long tenure at Boeing’s plants in Everett, Wash., and North Charleston, S.C., had been vocal about safety lapses and quality control issues at Boeing.
His concerns gained international attention in 2019 when he and other former Boeing employees spoke to The New York Times about manufacturing problems within the company. Barnett alleged that Boeing’s culture prioritized profits over quality, potentially compromising passenger safety.
Barnett had filed a whistleblower complaint against Boeing in 2017, claiming that his attempts to address safety issues were disregarded and that he faced repercussions for raising concerns. His case was scheduled for trial this June.
Barnett’s family shared that he had experienced declining health due to the stress of confronting his employer. They cited post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety attacks resulting from a hostile work environment as contributing factors to his death.
In interviews, Barnett emphasized his commitment to aircraft safety and his hope that his actions would prompt positive change within Boeing. He expressed concern for the safety of passengers and crew, emphasizing the importance of addressing manufacturing defects to prevent potential tragedies.
