Harry Whittington: 'I'm a Lucky Person'

The lawyer shot by Vice President Dick Cheney during a hunting trip was being discharged from a hospital on Friday 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 out the hospital in a suit, his face clearly bruised.

"Accidents do and will happen," Whittington said, "and that's what happened."

Whittington thanked the hospital staff. He also said he was sorry for all the difficulty the vice president and his family had faced. He said the past weekend encompassed "a cloud of misfortune and sadness."

"My family and I are are deeply sorry for everything that Vice President Cheney and his family had to go through this week," Whittington said, appearing emotional in front of television cameras.

Speaking in Wyoming to the state Legislature Friday, Cheney said, "Thankfully, Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well."