It seemed that watching a feeble old lady approach the violent man moved the throng of onlookers that spectated and did nothing to help. Cries of "leave them alone" rang out but no one was prepared to get actively involved for fear the demented man turn on them next.
The Killer was shocked at the old woman who was banging her fists on him, he saw her coming and stiffened. At first he didn't react, just let the enraged granny pound him some more. She wasn't having much of an impact; he's just surprised that she dared to hit him in the first place.
Not surprisingly, he looked suitably uncertain, just really seeing the crowd that gathered for the first time, he saw the disapproving looks on their faces and the fact that their numbers were growing, it was only a matter of time before they boostered their ranks enough to feel brave in going against him.
