Crooks set up fake car sale, try to rob pair who arrive for buy, cops say. But one victim has a gun — and a deadly aim.

Suspects set up a fake vehicle sale on Facebook Marketplace and tried to rob a pair who showed up for a possible transaction Monday in Peoria, Illinois, police told WMBD-TV.

The problem — for the bad guys, that is — was that one of the victims was carrying a gun and showed off a deadly aim, at that.

What are the details?

Police said the purported sellers led the would-be buyers to an alley near the 2100 block of West Lincoln Avenue around 5 p.m., the station said — after which bullets started flying.

Once the two victims were in the alley, several people tried to rob them, police told WMBD. Amid a struggle, the would-be robbers fired shots — but so did one of the victims, the station said.

At the end of things, that gun-toting victim fired a single shot, hitting one of the robbery suspects, police told WMBD, adding that the shot suspect died at the scene.

“The investigation has determined that this was an attempted robbery setup, and there was no intention to sell a vehicle,” a police department spokesperson told the station.

What else?

The victim who pulled the trigger is a legal gun owner in another state and has a license to carry from one state to another, WMBD said, adding that he was released without any charges.

The station said police were still investigating the case, which the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office will review.

“The Peoria Police Department would like to remind the public to remain vigilant during Marketplace type transactions," the police department spokesperson added to WMBD. "Use good judgment when it comes to selecting meetup locations that are highly visible and preferably under video surveillance. The parking lot and lobby of the police department are also available to conduct such transactions."

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