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An unwanted surprise was waiting for a Badin resident over the Thanksgiving holidays.

Daniel Spears, a 32-year-old Army veteran who served on active duty in Afghanistan, was the victim of a robbery.

Spears lost a number of items, including $200 and his laptop along with an AR-15 assault rifle he built himself along with a 12-gauge shotgun, a Glock .23 pistol and a .40 Smith and Wesson with more than 1,000 rounds of ammo.

Spears said he was spending time with a buddy of his in Kannapolis and came home Thanksgiving morning to put his dog in the house and get ready for holiday festivities with his family.

Instead, Spears found every cabinet door in his kitchen open as he entered the house along with open bedroom doors.

“When I saw everything was wide open, I just knew,” he said, adding when he entered he dropped his bags and ran room to room.

Access was made in a back bedroom window with the screen cut open, Spears said.

“They got away with quite a bit,” he added, saying he was worried as well when he saw the contents of the box with his military awards and decorations dumped out on the floor.

Spears said he believed there was more than one individual who robbed him due to the height of the windows.

The former Infantry member said he was prepared for a home invasion but had not taken into account a break-in when he was not there.

Spears also said he wanted to let his neighbors and others know about what happened and to protect their own homes.

He said he is still not sleeping in his bed and feels like the whole incident was “a violation.” Having served in combat, he had been in dangerous situations, but never had anything happen so close to home.

“The word violated is the best term…at the end of the day, it was the most gut-wrenching, heartbreaking feeling,” Spears said.

Badin Police Chief Stephen Smith, who responded to the call Thanksgiving Day, said residents need to keep their homes locked, including all doors and windows, as well as lock vehicles and conceal valuables if they have to be kept in a vehicle. Guns should be kept secure in a gun safe for protection, he added.

Any incident such as this one concerns Smith, he said, adding the concern elevates when firearms are stolen. People should take extra precautions during the holidays, he said, not just in Badin but everywhere.

A GoFundMe page has been started on Spears’ behalf at the following link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-someone-in-need-thats-sacrificed-enough?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1