Dana Fisher, a University of Maryland sociologist has studied protests - riots and its counter force of looters for 20 some years.

Dana Fisher observed that "People flock to the sites of protests with different motivations, and those who want peace tend to stay peaceful. “I’ve never seen somebody
come in who’s peaceful and then it’s like, Hey, they just broke that window over there. I’m going to now start looting,” she told me".

The academic studies and research of the sociologist, political and other social sceintists are contributing to the insights and knowledge materials to use to understandinf
this phenomenon of riotings that triggers to vandalisms and lootings.

It would be interesting to note for scholars to study - Are there "professional" rioters and looters that crosses state lines - for economic gains?

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/06/why-people-loot/612577/