Lawyer shot by Cheney to leave hospital

The lawyer shot by US Vice President Dick Cheney during a hunting trip was discharged from a hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas, today and told reporters he was sorry for all the trouble Cheney had faced over the past week.

“We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue,” Whittington, 78, said as he stood outside the hospital with what appeared to be scars on an eyelid and scrapes on his neck.

“Accidents do and will happen,” he said.

The Austin attorney’s statements were his first since he was hit in the face, neck and chest with birdshot on Saturday during a hunting trip at a South Texas ranch.

He had been listed in stable condition in a Corpus Christi hospital since suffering a mild heart attack on Tuesday after a shotgun pellet travelled to his heart.

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

“I’m the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend,” Cheney said. He said it was “one of the worst days of my life.”

Whittington said the past weekend encompassed “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.

He also thanked the hospital staff and said he was “a lucky person” to survive the shooting.