<Li> Shannon - In the episode `` Heartland '' , Gibbs is revealed by flashbacks to have met his first wife , Shannon ( portrayed in that episode by Aviva ) , while waiting at the Stillwater train platform in 1976 , where she tells him about her rules for life that would inspire a similar set of Gibbs ' own that he now teaches to his subordinate agents at NCIS . In `` Hiatus ( Part II ) '' , they were stated to have married in April 1982 , and Kelly ( Mary Mouser ) was born in July 1983 . He was unable to be at the birth of Kelly as he was deployed . Shannon , along with their eight - year - old daughter Kelly , was murdered by a Mexican drug dealer named Pedro Hernandez on the last official day of Operation Desert Storm . Gibbs was an active member of the Marine Corps at the time and was still overseas when they were killed . In `` Hiatus ( Part II ) '' Director Shepard tells Dr. Donald `` Ducky '' Mallard that Shannon had witnessed a murder of a Marine at Camp Pendleton , where Gibbs was based at that time . Shannon had identified the murderer as Mexican - born drug dealer Pedro Hernandez . Afterwards , Hernandez shot the NIS agent driving Shannon and Kelly in a minivan and the subsequent crash took their lives . Gibbs retaliated by seeking out Pedro and assassinating him in cold blood , leaving behind an empty shell casing as a message . This secret remained with him for 20 years until it came to light when Abby discovered the truth through a forensic investigation . </Li>
<Li> Shannon - In the episode `` Heartland '' , Gibbs is revealed by flashbacks to have met his first wife , Shannon ( portrayed in that episode by Aviva ) , while waiting at the Stillwater train platform in 1976 , where she tells him about her rules for life that would inspire a similar set of Gibbs ' own that he now teaches to his subordinate agents at NCIS . In `` Hiatus ( Part II ) '' , they were stated to have married in April 1982 , and Kelly ( Mary Mouser ) was born in July 1983 . He was unable to be at the birth of Kelly as he was deployed . Shannon , along with their eight - year - old daughter Kelly , was murdered by a Mexican drug dealer named Pedro Hernandez on the last official day of Operation Desert Storm . Gibbs was an active member of the Marine Corps at the time and was still overseas when they were killed . In `` Hiatus ( Part II ) '' Director Shepard tells Dr. Donald `` Ducky '' Mallard that Shannon had witnessed a murder of a Marine at Camp Pendleton , where Gibbs was based at that time . Shannon had identified the murderer as Mexican - born drug dealer Pedro Hernandez . Afterwards , Hernandez shot the NIS agent driving Shannon and Kelly in a minivan and the subsequent crash took their lives . Gibbs retaliated by seeking out Pedro and assassinating him in cold blood , leaving behind an empty shell casing as a message . This secret remained with him for 20 years until it came to light when Abby discovered the truth through a forensic investigation . </Li>
how did ncis gibbs wife and daughter die
how did ncis gibbs wife and daughter die
murdered by a Mexican drug dealer named Pedro Hernandez on the last official day of Operation Desert Storm
murdered by a Mexican drug dealer named Pedro Hernandez on the last official day of Operation Desert Storm