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| - FACT CHECK: Viral X Post Falsely Claims Boeing Whistleblowers Were Killed By Alleged ‘Hit Squad’
A viral post shared on X claims John Barnett and Joshua Dean, two Boeing whistleblowers who recently died, were allegedly killed by a “hit squad.”
Whistleblowers at Boeing just keep dying right after they start alerting authorities about what is going on at Boeing.
Boeing has an amazing hit squad. Extremely efficient and talented.
It’s too bad that Boeing didn’t put as much effort into the 737 Max and the 787. pic.twitter.com/uoEQ8y7stH
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) May 2, 2024
Verdict: False
The claim is false. Barnett died of what appeared to be a “self-inflicted” gunshot wound and Dean died following a brief illness, according to ABC 4 News and The Washington Post, respectively.
Fact Check:
Boeing has locked out its private force of firefighters and brought in replacements to protect its aircraft manufacturing plants amid failed negotiations on wages, according to The Associated Press. Around 125 firefighters were impacted by the company’s decision, the outlet reported.
The X post, viewed over three million times, claims Barnett and Dean were allegedly killed by a “hit squad.” “Whistleblowers at Boeing just keep dying right after they start alerting authorities about what is going on at Boeing. Boeing has an amazing hit squad. Extremely efficient and talented,” the post’s caption reads in part. The post features a screenshot of an article from the Seattle Times announcing Dean’s death.
The claim is false, however. According to ABC 4 News, Barnett died of what appeared to be a “self-inflicted” gunshot wound. Barnett was found in his truck at a Holiday Inn in Charleston, South Carolina in March 2024, also according to the outlet. Likewise, Dean died following a brief illness, according to The Washington Post. The Washington Post cited an article from the Seattle Times, which indicated Dean, 45, died “after a struggle with a sudden, fast-spreading infection.”
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. Lead Stories labeled the claim about the two whistleblowers as false via a May 3 article. (RELATED: No, The World Health Organization Is Not Abandoning Its Pandemic Prevention Treaty)
Furthermore, Boeing has neither issued a press release nor a social media statement commenting on the claim.
Check Your Fact has contacted Boeing for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
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