“This clerk could have shot the perp right through the
counter and vice versa.”
You may be right. We do not know what the counter was made of, or what was behind it. Handgun cartridges penetrate considerable sheet rock, but many will be stopped by a couple of 2x4s.
Very true and you must always consider deflection. It is surprising how a small twig can deflect a high powered rifle of target especially at longer ranges.
A hand gun projectile at usually < 1500 FPS can be easily deflected even at close range. Personally, I would never attempt a shot through anything except the perps clothing.