Slain Border Patrol agent Nicholas Ivie opened fire first, investigators say

He also described the family's meeting with Napolitano and Aguilar as "pretty special." Much of it centered on the Ivie family's beliefs as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"It did turn out to be a really spiritual experience for all of us," he said. Napolitano and Aguilar "felt the spirit," he said. "They were pretty moved."

"It seemed like the healing started right there in that room," Chris Ivie said.

The first of two funeral services will be held for Nick Ivie on Monday in Sierra Vista.

Ivie's body will return to Utah on an airplane Tuesday night about 9:30 p.m. A law enforcement processional is scheduled for the tarmac at the Salt Lake City International Airport to transport Ivie to a mortuary.

Thursday's service in Utah will now be held at the UCCU Center at Utah Valley University in Orem. It begins at 11 a.m. and is open to the public. Ivie will be buried in the Spanish Fork Cemetery.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the Border Patrol and other federal and local agencies flooded the area with personnel looking for who they believed were assailants who had attacked the agents.

Two people believed to be involved in smuggling activity were arrested by the Mexican government but were apparently not involved at all.

Ivie’s death marked the first fatal shooting of an agent since a deadly 2010 firefight with Mexican bandits that killed U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in December 2010 and spawned congressional probes of a botched government gun-smuggling investigation.

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