A former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the safety of its planes was found dead while working on providing a deposition as part of a lawsuit against the aviation giant, his attorneys said.

John Barnett, 62, was discovered with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head outside of a Holiday Inn in Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday, the Charleston Police Department said in a statement that cited the local county coroners office, which separately confirmed his death to HuffPost.

His discovery in a vehicle, just before 10:20 a.m., followed a request for a welfare check at the hotel, police said.

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, the police department said, declining to comment further due to the ongoing investigation.