John Barnett, a former Boeing quality control manager who blew the whistle on numerous safety issues in the airplane manufacturer's production process, was found dead in Charleston, South Carolina, on March 9, 2024 from a gunshot wound to the head.
The news was reported by numerous reputable news outlets, including the BBC, whom Barnett talked to about safety lapses in the production process in 2019. The same year, Barnett also talked to The New York Times about lapses in the production of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.
According to the BBC and NPR, Charleston police are investigating to determine the cause of Barnett's death, but the coroner's office said in a statement that the gunshot wound appeared to be self-inflicted.
Barnett's attorney, Brian Knowles, told Corporate Crime Reporter that Barnett was in Charleston for a deposition in an ongoing whistleblower lawsuit about safety concerns in Boeing's North Charleston factory. Barnett, 62, had been providing evidence in the days before Saturday, when he failed to show up and was discovered dead.
The fact that Barnett died in the middle of providing testimony against Boeing sparked an easy-to-intuit conspiracy theory that quickly spread across social media.
Boeing branching out into killing people on the ground https://t.co/DmmIt73mtu
— Chase Mitchell (@ChaseMit) March 11, 2024
However, the police investigation into Barnett's cause of death is still ongoing.
Ever since a side window fell off of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Jan. 5, 2024, Boeing has faced increased scrutiny over the safety of its 737 Max commercial planes. According to The New York Times, Boeing failed 33 of 89 audits performed by the FAA after that event.
Barnett's work at the North Charleston factory, meanwhile, was on the 787 Dreamliner, which has been in service for more than 10 years. The initial 2019 report from The New York Times suggested that the myriad of problems related to both the 737 Max (after fatal crashes in late 2018 and early 2019) and 787 Dreamliner production might have been indicative of "potentially systemic problems."
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health, suicide or substance use crisis or emotional distress, reach out 24/7 to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) by dialing or texting 988 or using chat services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor.
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