I agree with others that the article does not provide much information.
Where I live the law would require the farmer to stay in a safe place, call the police or flee instead of confronting the criminals and attempting to protect his property.
I grew up around long guns and it is odd to me that the weapon discharged by accident at exactly the moment and in the right position to kill the young man.
I'm not sure if race was a factor, that calls for the operation of the farmer's mind.
On the other side of the coin, those young men had no good reason to be on that farmers property or to be borrowing the farmer's ATV.
Based on the information provided in the article I would acquit the farmer.
I'm assuming Mount Pilot is in the Carolinas. North Carolina is a Stand Your Ground state. So is South Carolina.