User blog comment:Sammyrock0087/Big Plot Hole in RDR 2 **SPOLIERS**/@comment-6554265-20181203231011/@comment-27656000-20181204001138

I think they do mention John getting shot during the ferry heist, although clearly it wasn't anywhere major since he was well enough to flee with them and healthy enough to try and scout ahead.

You're right about the "shot" meaning "left for dead" though, that was clearly what the stranger was implying and the original intentions of the story writers. Unless they're trying to say John took part in many ferry heists and that was the only one he got shot during, haha. Like I said though, it's not so much a retcon as it is the story writing equivalent of "No, what I actually meant was this." They're just lucky they were real ambiguous about all of what happened with John and the gang, so nothing really contradicts, it just kinda makes you go "But, I thought this is what they meant?"