South Carolina’s state primary elections hit a bump in the road when a man allegedly discharged a firearm, causing a polling place to be locked down in Horry County on Tuesday. Cody Akins, age 36, was arrested and charged with possession of a weapon on school property.
Reportedly, Horry County Police Department officers responded to Nichols Highway at approximately 12:30 PM after receiving reports of a gunshot. It later emerged that the only polling place on the road was Midland Elementary School.
Akins was wearing an “All-black ninja style costume, wielding a sword with a revolver-type handgun in his waistband.” He allegedly discharged one shot at a target in his backyard, which was within 75 feet of the school, and caused it to go into lockdown. He then fired five more shots from a short distance away, although authorities noted that he was shooting in the opposite direction from the school and that there was no barrier behind the target to avoid ricocheting.
Akins was taken into custody with his revolver-type handgun left in his camper. He was later charged with reckless discharge of a firearm and booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on Tuesday.
Akins’ bond was set at $500, which he promptly posted on Wednesday.