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I've seen speculation that the snipers were expecting a long-range threat, and so were set up with high-magnification scopes that may have made target acquisition and ID difficult at close range. I'm skeptical, but it's something to consider.
They didn't have spotters due to staffing issues.
Apparently the shooter wasn't as amateurish as originally believed and he stashed the gun near the shooting spot.
Otoh, again, closest possible shooting spot, and they overlooked it.
Not only did they overlook it, they overlooked it while the crowd was pointing and shouting, while the police responded and confronted the shooter, and while the shooter not only aimed, not only fired, but fired repeatedly. Like, it's one thing for them to miss the guy. It's another thing for them to miss the guy, while a significant portion of the crowd is pointing at him and shouting that there's a guy there.
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Elsewhere in the thread someone quoted ABC news, in turn quoting the Butler county sheriff, who confirmed the story of Crooks being confronted by an officer just before firing.
To have that confrontation, the "sense" to ignore the cop and make those shots at 150 yards with iron sights--no adrenaline pumping, no jitters? Crooks must have been a crack shot with frozen veins. I guess I assume a second shooter wouldn't miss (+ all the other questions that raises), because otherwise that explanation would make far more sense than "random schizo is as coolheaded as scout sniper."
There's a quote popularized by the Wheel of Time: "Duty is heavier than a mountain, Death lighter than a feather."
Much of fear and anxiety come from uncertainty. He may have come to the mental conclusion he was going to get popped after taking the shot and as a result calmed down immensely, making things easier. This is how some people response to stressful situations by nature. Emergency training of all kinds is designed to get people to this point but some people already have it, and it's not always who you'd expect (ex: I've seen nervous wreck seeming med students respond to their first code and absolutely kill it....and then turn around and start blubbering as soon as the emergency was over).
Yeah, danger does work like that for some people. I'm the calmest, most concentrated and least-panicky in a potentionally violent situation and for several minutes afterwards. I start shaking, sometimes uncontrollably some minutes after.
IRL, I'm pretty absent minded and really not someone who can concentrate well, however, risk of immediate violence does make me concentrate amazingly well for a short while.
Some people be that way. You can train for it and should (and emergency workers of various kinds do) but some people just got it. Unfortunately it often comes with the adrenaline dump afterwards as you note.
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