A former quality manager at Boeing who became a prominent whistleblower and raised concerns over the planemaker’s production line has been found dead.
John Barnett died on Saturday from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to officials in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Charleston police department is investigating. “We understand the global attention this case has garnered, and it is our priority to ensure that the investigation is not influenced by speculation but is led by facts and evidence,” it said.
Barnett, 62, retired in 2017 after almost three decades at Boeing. After finding clusters of metal slivers hanging over flight control wiring on several planes, Barnett said he urged his bosses to remove them. Instead, they moved him to another part of the company’s plant in North Charleston.