Pritzker’s office scrubs photo with Chicago ‘peacekeeper’ later charged in deadly robbery

Democrat Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is under fire after posing for a picture alongside a Chicago-area resident involved in the city’s “peacekeeper” program, who just days later was charged in a fatal crash-and-grab robbery that resulted in the death of a soon-to-be father.

Pritzker’s office confirmed to Fox News that it removed a photo within an official government press release of the governor and the man donning a “peacekeepers program” vest, identified as Kellen McMiller, who was charged last week in connection with the deadly burglary. The photo with Pitzker was taken as part of a week-long initiative where the governor traveled to various locations around Chicago to meet with different community leaders, such as school administrators, community violence interventionists, and local business leaders. 

Meanwhile, court records showed that at the time McMiller posed with his photo next to Illinois’ highest ranking official, he had four outstanding arrest warrants, the Chicago-Sun Times reported.

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Gov. JB Pritzker is seen at a press conference at the Metropolitan Peace Academy in Chicago earlier this month to highlight the work of leaders and volunteers from Community Violence Intervention organizations across the Chicago area. On the left is the mugshot of Kellen McMiller. (Getty Images/Chicago Police Department)

In response to the photo faux-pas, Pritzker’s office put out a statement indicating they were “extremely troubled” to learn of McMiller’s arrest and his alleged involvement in a fatal robbery.  

“The Governor meets hundreds of people in communities every week and is often asked to take photos,” a Pritzker spokesperson said in a statement shared with the media. “We were extremely troubled to learn that this individual was arrested for his alleged involvement in this serious crime, and we expect them to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. The Governor will keep doing everything in his power to fight crime, keep our neighborhoods safe, and support community violence intervention, which have been proven to work. For example, the Peacekeepers Program has a strong track record reducing violent crime by 41% over the past two years and providing community members with a path towards rehabilitation.”  

McMiller, who is 35-years-old, was charged with murder, burglary and retail theft alongside six co-defendants for a Sept. 11 crash-and-grab theft at a Louis Vuitton store along Chicago’s Miracle Mile. The photo with Pritzker took place six days prior, during an event highlighting the city’s “peacekeepers” who work in community violence prevention to help reduce the ongoing violent crime in Chicago. McMiller wore the group’s uniform as he stood next to the governor. 

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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks at the office of The Center for American Progress event March 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Prosecutors alleged that McMiller was part of a team that smashed a pickup truck into the Louis Vuitton store, stealing nearly $700,000 in merchandise. As police arrived, one of the getaway cars slammed into another vehicle that was driven by 40-year-old Mark Aceta. 

Aceta was subsequently killed in the crash, which occurred one day before his girlfriend gave birth to their son.

This incident with Pritzker comes as he and President Donald Trump continue to spar over whether the federal government should deploy National Guard troops into Chicago to help quell the city’s violent crime. However, Pritzker has argued back that there is no crime emergency going on in Chicago that would call for federal troops to intervene.

President Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker have traded sharp words as Trump floats deploying National Guard troops to Chicago. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

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Still, the president has threatened to send the National Guard even if Pritzker tries to stop him.

“If Pritzker was smart, he would say, ‘Please come in,'” Trump told reporters earlier this week. “If they lose less than six or seven people a week with murder, they’re doing a great job in their opinion. Chicago is a death trap, and I’m going to make it just like I did with D.C., just like I’ll do with Memphis.”