Did ‘NCIS' Kill Off Another Character During Season 23 Finale? Recap

The NCIS season 23 finale brought a beloved character back to life - at least in spirit - before teasing the potential death of a different character.

Warning: Spoilers below from NCIS season 23, episode 20.

During the Tuesday, May 12, season 23 finale, director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) returned in multiple flashbacks after being killed off earlier in the season.

The glimpses at the past began 12 months prior when Vance called his daughter, an NCIS agent Kayla (Naomi Grace), to check in about work. As the two were on the phone, an explosion went off at the coffee shop, Kayla just left.

The next scene showed Kayla boxing with Vance one month later as the bombing continued to haunt her. Kayla was confident that the suicide bomber wasn't a "lone wolf" and told her father she planned to prove it.

Flash forward to present day, when the current NCIS team - who are still without a director after Vance was fatally shot during episode 13 - discovered another suicide bomber with a backpack that looked like the coffee shop attack.

During the final minutes of the episode, Torres confronted Mateo in an alley about why he needed to login to an NCIS computer. Mateo told Torres to stop asking questions and revealed he had a gun.

"They could be watching," Mateo said, as Torres put his hand on his own gun, asking him to stop moving.

The screen went black and a loud gunshot went off, hinting that another character could be dead.

Fans will have to wait until fall 2026 when season 24 of NCIS premieres to discover if anyone was shot, who may have died and what Mateo was really doing at the office.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 6:01 PM.