Just saw pics of the gun used. Looking at suspect and gun it's a wonder he hit anything. I can't imagine what the suspects father is feeling. So many life's ruined by this act.
Why? A 200 yard shot with a .30-06 hunting rifle isn't anything extraordinary, and from the looks of the angle and impact, he failed to aim lower since he was shooting from a higher position. He likely aimed center chest and made a neck hit from mis-aiming and not calculating wind (haven't looked to see if wind was left-to-right from the shooter's vantage yet).
This just underscores that for all the "Reee!" about AR's and such (which comparably aren't "high-powered" in .223, and not really in .300BO), old-school hunting rifles are just as capable on a single-shot basis and in hunting calibers, quite a bit more deadly. They're just not suited for multiple-target engagements as much.
If you were some sort of sleeper cell agent and wanted to stay under the radar, you'd be at the range with a hunting rifle and paper targets of deer, building your skills at range.
Not glorifying the shooter in the least here - just pointing out that despite the reporting, this isn't any huge, scary, special, CIA-only feat. It's a regular shot for many hunters... and a SHORT shot for folks hunting exotics in the mountains, where 400y isn't off the table.