John Barnett, the whistleblower who was participating in a lawsuit against Boeing, said not to believe reports of his death being a suicide, according to a close family friend.
In an interview with ABC 4 News earlier this week, the woman, whose name is Jennifer, claimed she didn’t believe Barnett died by suicide and that she had a conversation with him about how his death could play out days before his deposition in the case against Boeing.
Barnett had filed a complaint against the company highlighting unsafe work practices. According to Jennifer, Barnett wasn’t worried about his safety but advised her if anything happened to him, it wasn’t a result of him taking his own life.
"I know that he did not commit suicide," said Jennifer, a friend of Barnett's. "There's no way. I know John because his mom and my mom are best friends. Over the years, get-togethers, birthdays, celebrations, and whatnot. We've all got together and talked."
She continued, "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.'"
Jennifer also stated Barnett “loved life too much” and “loved his family too much” to go through the act of taking his own life. She also said that someone "didn't like what he had to say" and wanted to "shut him up,” which is why she believes there was foul play invovled in his death.
Barnett died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 9, according to the BBC. He spent 32 years working for Boeing and, in 2010, served as a quality manager for its North Carolina plant before retiring in 2017.
