Police discover gun and note on Boeing whistleblower

According to Newsweek, the police reported that the Boeing whistleblower, John Barnett, who was found dead in his car outside a South Carolina hotel last Saturday, was found with a “silver handgun” and a “white piece of paper that closely resembled a note.”

The Charleston Police Department is still investigating the case and gathering information about Barnett, who was found with a single gunshot wound to the head in a hotel car park.

The police stated in a press release, “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.”

Despite the coroner’s report stating that Barnett, 62, died from a “self-inflicted” wound, a close family friend of his told WCIV-TV that “he did not commit suicide.”

The friend mentioned, “He wasn’t concerned about safety because I asked him. I said, ‘Aren’t you scared?’ And he said, ‘No, I ain’t scared, but if anything happens to me, it’s not suicide.'”

The individual added, “I know that he did not commit suicide. There’s no way. He loved life too much. He loved his family too much. He loved his brothers too much to put them through what they’re going through right now.”

Barnett was in South Carolina to complete a deposition as a whistleblower in a retaliation lawsuit against Boeing, his former employer of 32 years as a quality control manager. He retired in 2017.

His legal representatives mentioned that during Barnett’s time working on the 787 Dreamliner, he “learned of and exposed very serious safety problems with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and was retaliated against and subjected to a hostile work environment.”