Has this ever happened to you? Is it a TSA thing?

My family member checked a run-of-the-mill black suitcase through, from Tucson to Dallas, non-stop. When he checked it in at the airport ticket counter, nothing was attached to the bag that would distinguish it, in any way. It was secured with a TSA-approved lock.

When he arrived at Dallas and got to the luggage area, he watched a suitcase like his, but with a red bandanna tied to it, circle the carousel four times before he realized that it had to be his. And it was, in fact, his suitcase. I don't know if it's relevant but his bag arrived right next to a bag of the exact same make, model, and color but one size smaller. The smaller bag was not similarly festooned with a bandanna. He asked a baggage area employee to remove the bandanna from his suitcase. I'm not sure why he felt this was necessary--maybe, because it creeped him out.

Anyway, nothing seems to be missing from his suitcase (he did a brief inspection before putting it in his rental car) but who would have tied a bandanna to his luggage and why???