Boeing whistleblower John Barnett found dead in South Carolina

A former Boeing employee who had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company has been found dead in South Carolina, authorities said.

The death of John Barnett, 62, was confirmed by the Charleston County Coroner. The office said in a news release that he died from "what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound." 

Barnett worked at Boeing for 32 years and retired in 2017, the BBC reported. From 2010 to 2017, he worked as a quality manager at the airplane manufacturer's North Charleston plant. The plant manufactured the 787 Dreamliner, which was the subject of multiple whistleblower complaints.