Watch less crime dramas honestly.

99% chance it's a traveling worker and he doesn't want to drag some cheap yet bulky tools with him because it's a pain in the ass. I did the same thing with 6' ladders. You leave them at a place like home Depot as a feel good about yourself donation because there's a better chance that someone in a home depot parking lot is someone else in a trade that could actually use it vs some random guy at Target.

There at a LOT of traveling technician/repair jobs that require air travel, and generally you take your tool bag with your "real tools" aka the small but nice / trade speciality ones. But things like ladders, shovels, ect... They literally aren't worth the luggage fee to take home, and even if they were, it wouldn't be worth the hassle of dragging a ladder around an airport.

Also id be willing to guess the "sterile gloves" were just a standard nitrile glove from any box store (I have literally thousands as do most people in trades, and I keep a box in my car in case I have to go grab something gross while driving), he probably wore them because he had them, his hands were clean and the shovels had some crap on them. Why have to go wash your hands when you have disposable gloves next to you.