What happened to Gibbs family on NCIS series? Explained

NCIS has been on air since 2003 and has become one of the longest-running crime dramas on television. The show follows a team of agents in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service as they solve cases involving military personnel.

While the show has gone through several cast changes, it has remained a fan favorite because of its mix of crime-solving, teamwork, and personal stories.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon, was the heart of NCIS for 19 seasons. He was known for his strict leadership, sharp instincts, and personal set of rules, but behind his tough exterior was a painful past that shaped him.

His first wife, Shannon, and their young daughter, Kelly, were murdered, and their deaths haunted him throughout the series. The tragic event played a major role in his decision to join NIS, the organization that later became NCIS.

The show has revealed pieces of their story through flashbacks, and now NCIS: Origins takes a deeper look at how their deaths impacted him in his early years.

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Exploring in detail what happened to Gibbs' family on NCIS

Gibbs in NCIS: Origins (Image via CBS)

Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ tragic past has been one of the most defining aspects of his character on NCIS. His wife, Shannon, and their daughter, Kelly, were murdered when Gibbs was still a Marine. Their deaths changed the course of his life and set him on the path to becoming an agent.

Over multiple seasons, the show has revealed the details of what happened to them, mainly through flashbacks, with NCIS: Origins now exploring it further.

Shannon Gibbs and their daughter, Kelly, were killed in 1991 by a Mexican drug dealer named Pedro Hernandez. Shannon had witnessed Hernandez murder a Marine and was set to testify against him.

To keep her safe, NIS placed her and Kelly under protective custody, assigning an agent to escort them. However, while they were being transported, Hernandez’s men ambushed the vehicle, and the NIS agent was shot and killed. The car then crashed as a result, killing both Shannon and Kelly.

Their deaths had a devastating effect on Gibbs. He was serving overseas at the time and only found out later through his best friend and mentor, Mike Franks, who was leading the investigation against Hernandez.

Franks, knowing Gibbs’ pain, quietly gave him access to the case files, allowing him to see exactly what happened. Gibbs later took justice into his own hands, traveling to Mexico and assassinating Hernandez with a sniper rifle. He never spoke openly about what he did, but his actions were eventually discovered by his team years later.

Gibbs’ grief shaped him into the man fans came to know on NCIS. He rarely talked about his past, but moments throughout the show revealed how deeply the loss affected him.

He frequently had flashbacks of his wife and daughter, sometimes seeing visions of them when he was struggling with difficult decisions. Their deaths became the reason he dedicated his life to justice, pushing him to join NIS and later become one of the most respected agents.

A snap from the show (Image via CBS)

The impact of their murder was felt beyond just Gibbs. Over the years, members of his team learned about his past, and those closest to him understood why he was the way he was. His strict rules, his unwillingness to get too close to people, and his relentless pursuit of justice all traced back to that one moment in his life.

Now, NCIS: Origins is showing a younger version of Gibbs in 1991, dealing with the immediate aftermath of his family's deaths. The prequel series gives a closer look at his grief, his decision to join NIS, and how his early career was shaped by what happened to Shannon and Kelly. Their loss was the turning point that made him the agent and leader that fans followed for nearly two decades.

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The next episode of the show (season 22, episode 14) is titled Close to Home and is scheduled to air on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 9:00 pm ET on CBS.