Here’s yet another report underscoring the importance of responsible gun ownership. 

READ: Catalytic Converter Thieves Thought They Could Steal From an Armed Citizen. They Thought Wrong.

In this case, two potential victims were lured into a robbery while trying to purchase a vehicle through Facebook Marketplace. The incident occurred on Monday night in Peoria, Illinois, and left one of the would-be robbers dead.

According to Semone Roth of the Peoria Police Department, the shooting occurred amid a potential Facebook Marketplace transaction where two people came to Peoria to meet someone about buying a vehicle.

The shooting occurred at about 5 p.m. in a nearby alley in the 2100 block of West Lincoln Avenue where the would-be buyers were led by the purported sellers.

“The investigation has determined that this was an attempted robbery setup and there was no intention to sell a vehicle,” Roth said.

Once they got into the alley, several people tried to rob them. A struggle ensued and shots were fired by the would-be robbers as well as one of the people who were being robbed. A suspect in the robbery was hit and died at the scene. Roth said.

The robbery victim who fired a shot was a legal gun owner in another state and had a license to carry the weapon from one state to another. He was released without any charges.

The armed citizen’s quick thinking thwarted further violence. Fortunately, he was not charged even though he is a resident of a state whose government isn’t too keen on gun ownership. It is even more fortuitous given the high crime rates in Peoria. The likelihood of becoming a victim of a violent or property crime is far higher there than the U.S. average.

With a crime rate of 43 per one thousand residents, Peoria has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes - from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 23. Within Illinois, more than 98% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Peoria. In fact, after researching dangerous places to live, NeighborhoodScout found Peoria to be one of the top 100 most dangerous cities in the U.S.A.

Separately, it is always interesting and important to compare a city's crime rate with those of similarly sized communities - a fair comparison as larger cities tend to have more crime. NeighborhoodScout has done just that. With a population of 111,021, Peoria has a combined rate of violent and property crime that is very high compared to other places of similar population size. Regardless of whether Peoria does well or poorly compared to all other cities and towns in the US of all sizes, compared to places with a similar population, it fares badly. Few other communities of this size have a crime rate as high as Peoria.

The local police chief, Eric Echevarria, issued a word of warning for those seeking to buy products through Facebook Marketplace.

Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria is encouraging people to conduct these transactions in public places only; whether that’s City Hall, the Fire Department, or the Police Department.

“If you’re a legitimate seller, you’ll go where I need you to go. If you’re really trying to sell something -- whether it’s a cell phone, a gaming system, shoes, a car -- why can’t you meet somewhere that I’m asking you? I’m the one who’s going to buy it. Meet me somewhere safe,” Echevarria said.

Other safety tips include setting up meetups during the day, telling someone where you’re going and who you’re meeting, and checking the seller’s profile before you agree to meet them.

Gun ownership is especially essential in high-crime areas, even when trying to buy a product from a seller online. However, even in low-crime areas, having the means to defend oneself is paramount. You never know what types of people you might come across even when going about one’s day in an area without high rates of crime.