‘Chicago Fire’: Hawkins in Season 11 Episode 3: Jimmy Nicholas Leaves

“Completely Shattered” was the title of Wednesday’s Chicago Fire, but it was also an apt description of viewer response to the hour.

The episode concluded with the tragic death of Paramedic Field Chief Evan Hawkins, played by Jimmy Nicholas. The actor — who joined the NBC drama last season — took to social media on Wednesday in the wake of his character’s passing to console grieving fans.

“Take deep breaths and we’ll push through together,” Nicholas wrote on Twitter late Wednesday. He also thanked fans fo their “unbelievably kind” messages of support following the episode, adding, “I feel truly spoiled and incredibly grateful.”

In Wednesday’s episode, Firehouse 51 was called to the scene of a four alarm movie theater fire. Hawkins gets caught in an avalanche of debris while trying to rescue a man who was trapped. Despite his main squeeze Violet’s (Hanako Greensmith) efforts to save him, Hawkins dies.

On Instagram Thursday morning, Nicholas gave his leading lady a shout out, writing, “My girl Hanako was sensational, wasn’t she?”

It was a rough night overall for #OneChicago acolytes. After mourning the death of Hawkins on Fire, franchise diehards had to then say goodbye to Jesse Lee Sofer’s Halstead on Chicago P.D.

Did Hawkins’ demise leave you completely shattered? Or did the NBC promo department’s advance warning that someone would not make it out of the episode alive blunt the impact? Sound off below!