This story contains spoilers from the March 24 episode of NCIS.

NCIS fans would appreciate privacy at this difficult time. 

Director Leon Vance (played by Rocky Carroll) was killed off during the long-running crime procedural’s 500th episode on March 24.

In a shocking move, Carroll’s character—who joined the CBS drama during season five in 2008—was murdered in a shooting with a corrupt agent before being welcomed to heaven by a young Chief Medical Examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard (Adam Campbell).

And while fans may have been caught off guard by Vance’s death, Carroll was proud that his on-screen alter-ego’s emotional goodbye remained a surprise until the milestone episode aired.

“My biggest concern has been, because of the advent of social media, being able to keep a secret like this,” the 62-year-old told Variety in an interview published March 24, “when sometimes leaks come from the most unsuspecting sources. So, the fact that this hasn’t been blasted over the internet so far, or that the majority of people outside of CBS and a small circle of people still don’t know about it, is pretty cool.”