Why did the mob turn on Steve brand in the monsters are due on maple street?

In "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street," the mob turns on Steve Brand due to a combination of fear and paranoia. As tensions rise after a mysterious power outage and strange occurrences, the residents begin to suspect one another of being alien invaders. Steve, who tries to maintain calm and rationality, is seen as a threat to their growing hysteria, leading the mob to view him as an outsider and a potential source of the danger they fear. This shift illustrates how quickly fear can turn neighbors against each other in times of crisis.