Man dressed in 'ninja-style' costume accused of firing gun near Horry County polling place

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW) — A man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly firing a gun near a Horry County polling place while wearing a “ninja-style costume,” records show police documents obtained by News13.

Cody Wayne Akins, 36, was arrested and ticketed on a firearms discharge order, according to online jail records. He was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center and released Wednesday on $500 bond.

Police responded around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday to Nichols Highway in the Galivants Ferry area for shots fired, according to an incident report. Officers learned that Akins had fired the shots very close to the school while wearing a black “ninja style” suit and brandishing a sword with a handgun at his waist.

Officials told police that Akins shot about 75 feet from the school while children were there, causing an active voting location to be locked down, according to the report. Akins told police he fired one shot at a target in his backyard, before firing five more shots at a short distance.

While Akins was shooting from the school at a small target, there was no berm behind the target, providing the possibility of a ricochet, according to the report, which says he was arrested “due to reckless, willful and gratuitous disregard for safety.” people and property directly adjacent to a school occupied during the election.