In any MSM story involving firearms, "high powered" is a scare word, much like "assault," that they are required under union rules to sprinkle liberally throughout the story.
It does not refer any particular caliber, muzzle velocity, penetration capability, or magazine capacity.
The only thing you can deduce for sure from the term "high powered" in a MSM story, is that the writer, and his/her/nonspecific-gender editor disappoves of the weapon.
Similarly, the only thing you can tell for certain from a politician being labeled "conservative" is that the writer, and his/her/nonspecific-gender editor disappoves of the politician. That is why, to the MSM, George W. Bush, Vladimir Putin, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are all "conservative."
Yup, and the nitwit media lemmings use the same approach against the sectors of the economy which don't meet their approval: "big oil", "big pharma", "big tobacco", "big fill-in-the-blank". And some actually question whether we're becoming a nation of idiots...