[Lancey Howard]

Something I haven't seen mentioned on this thread is that the homeowner was almost certainly disoriented, having been suddenly awoken. I know that that sort of sudden-wake-up wth adrenalin, fear, etc, can seriously impair normal judgement and reasoning. It is quite different than being wide awake when the banging starts.

That is an excellent point. I wonder if the homeowner's story can be confirmed?

Another thing I wondered about was the gun. The story doesn't mention what kind of gun it was other than being a handgun. If the kid was able to run to a neighbor's yard after being shot, this was no high-powered gun.

[Shooter 2.5]

this was no high-powered gun.

Quote from the article: "the teenager was 6-feet-2 and 210 pounds. "So he's a big 16-year-old.""

Judging from his size, it still could have been a major caliber.

[GETMAIN]

If the kid was able to run to a neighbor's yard after being shot, this was no high-powered gun.

Actually, that's not an accurate assumption. Real-life shootings are not necessarily like what is portrayed on TV, where the person who's shot is dropped in their tracks. The only thing that will "guarantee" an immediate cessation of movement would be a shot that destroys part of the spinal column or shatters the pelvis. This is true for .22 caliber up to .50 bmg.