Huh? The reporter reports what he hears - from a local LEO. Just because one eye witness didn't see it is hardly proof that it didn't happen. Crooks took a shot and them more.
Are you really this totally naive?
There have been thousands of “news sorties” based on “anonymous sources” that have been complete debunked as either make up, deliberate misinformation, or out and out lying.
Just because “a reporter” writes something does not mean it is fact.
In this case, the actual verifiable facts directly contradict the supposed “facts” present by this suppose source,