Man shot by Cheney says he’s sorry for friend

updated 8:48 p.m. ET Feb. 19, 2006

WASHINGTON - The lawyer accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney during a hunting trip was discharged from a hospital on Friday and told reporters he was sorry for all the trouble Cheney had faced over the past week.

Harry Whittington, wearing a suit and tie, gave a brief statement and didn’t take questions. His voice was a bit raspy but strong, and he had what appeared to be a line of scarring on his upper right eyelid and scrapes on his neck.

“We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue,” the 78-year-old Austin attorney said in a brief statement. “Accidents do and will happen.”

Whittington was hit in the face, neck and chest with birdshot Saturday during a hunting trip at a South Texas ranch. He had been in stable condition in a Corpus Christi hospital since suffering a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet traveled to his heart.

Cheney took full blame for the shooting in an interview Wednesday with Fox News, his first public comments on what happened that day.

In his statement, Whittington said the past weekend had encompassed friends and family in “a cloud of misfortune and sadness.”

“My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with,” he said.

Whittington finished by praising his doctors. “They are truly remarkable servants of God and I’m extremely blessed for all they’ve done.”

‘Long week’ for Cheney
Cheney returned to his home state of Wyoming on Friday, getting a standing ovation from state lawmakers.

“It’s a wonderful experience to be greeted by such warmth by the leaders of our great state. It’s especially true when you’ve had a very long week,” he said ahead of a planned speech. “Thankfully, Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well.”

On Thursday, President Bush said he was satisfied with Cheney's explanation about the shooting accident.

The accident happened on Saturday but was not publicly revealed until the next day.

“I thought the vice president handled the issue just fine,” the president said. “Yesterday when he was here in the Oval Office I saw the deep concern he had about a person who he wounded. I thought yesterday’s explanation was a very strong and important explanation to make to the American people.”

The remarks were Bush’s first since the incident.

Meanwhile, a Texas county sheriff’s office said no charges would be filed against Cheney in the incident, and closed the investigation.

Bush said it was “a deeply traumatic moment for him and obviously it was a tragic moment for Harry Whittington.”

Bush said Democrats were drawing “the wrong conclusion about a tragic accident” when they say it depicts the White House as overly secretive.

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