WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush said Thursday the accidental shooting of a hunting companion was "traumatic" for Vice President Dick Cheney.
Bush said the shooting "was a deeply traumatic moment" for Cheney "and, obviously, it was a tragic moment for Harry Whittington," the shooting victim, The Washington Post reported.
The Post said Bush called himself "satisfied" with Cheney's explanation of a hunting accident in which the 78-year-old Texas lawyer was wounded.
Bush participated in a short question-and-answer session with the media at the White House after meeting with the visiting president of Colombia.
The president refused to address a one-day delay in notifying the media of the accident.
Cheney accidentally shot Whittington during a quail hunt on a ranch near Corpus Christi Saturday afternoon.
The vice president took the blame for the shooting in a broadcast interview Wednesday, but defended the delay in reporting the incident to the public.
