Patrixia Ross, 38, brings a distinguished family background to her life in America. She is a naturalised United States citizen originally from the Philippines, and reports indicate she was raised in an environment of high professional achievement, as both of her parents were respected doctors in her home country.

That upbringing in the medical field suggests a life of relative privilege and education before she moved to the United States and married the federal agent. Neighbours in their Minnesota community described her as a dedicated mother who was deeply involved in raising their children.

She appears to enjoy cooking, having previously shared photos of baking recipes from a Spanish-language cookbook on social media. In July 2013, she also posted a snap of herself next to a US Border Patrol helicopter, when the couple was living around El Paso, Texas, according to the Daily Mail.

Neighbours told the outlet that Patrixia is ‘polite, very nice, [and] very outgoing’, a stark contrast to her ‘very reserved’ husband. The couple reportedly shares ‘a couple of kids’, and despite the intense scrutiny currently facing her husband, Patrixia has no personal history of legal trouble or public controversy prior to the shooting.

Her status as a naturalised citizen, however, adds a layer of complexity to the narrative, given that her husband’s career was dedicated to enforcing immigration laws.