Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is facing intense scrutiny after a man charged in a fatal Chicago burglary crash was photographed standing beside him at a state-backed “peacekeeper” event less than a week before the incident.
The image, initially included in a press release, has since been removed from state websites, but critics say the political damage is already done.
The man, 35-year-old Kellen McMiller, was hospitalized following a violent raid at the Louis Vuitton store on North Michigan Avenue.
Prosecutors say McMiller participated in the burglary that ended with a deadly crash.
He now faces multiple charges, including murder during a forcible felony, burglary and theft.
Authorities also revealed that he had four active warrants—three from outside Illinois—prompting serious questions about how such an individual was allowed close access to the governor, CWBChicago reports.
According to court filings, the burglary took place just before sunrise on Sept. 11, when a crew used a pickup truck to smash through the store’s glass doors.
Surveillance footage allegedly shows masked men sprinting into the shattered storefront and leaving with bags stuffed with merchandise valued at nearly $700,000.
Police quickly responded, pursuing several getaway vehicles.
One stolen black Kia reportedly accelerated down Michigan Avenue at speeds topping 77 mph, running red lights before colliding with a Honda CR-V at Ohio Street.
The crash killed 40-year-old Mark Arceta of Skokie, who had the right of way and was driving to his final shift at Northwestern University before paternity leave.
His wife delivered their child shortly after his death, a detail that has heightened public sympathy and anger.
The fallout has intensified over McMiller’s prior appearance at a Pritzker-backed peacekeeper event in Englewood.
Official press coverage initially highlighted his participation and even included a one-on-one photo with the governor.
Once McMiller’s criminal record became public, however, the image was removed from state postings.
At the time, Pritzker praised the peacekeepers as “trusted messengers” working to reduce violence in neighborhoods.
“It’s folks like these that we need more of doing the hard work of community violence prevention,” he wrote on Facebook, framing the initiative as more effective than adding additional police officers, per The Post Millennial.
Former Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel criticized both the program and the governor’s staff, arguing that the initiative lacks accountability.
“Over the years, they have allocated millions of dollars to the peacekeepers program, yet there are no positive outcomes to demonstrate from a data perspective,” he said, adding that the advance team overseeing events like these is “incompetent.”
McMiller’s criminal history extends beyond Illinois.
Records show he was arrested in Miami in 2021 after allegedly throwing a bottle at a police vehicle, later facing charges of battery and resisting arrest.
In the Louis Vuitton case, Chicago police initially misidentified him as “Keller McMillan” when announcing charges.
The governor’s office has yet to provide an explanation for how a man with multiple active warrants gained access to a state-sponsored event and stood beside the state’s top official.
Critics argue this incident underscores the risks of prioritizing political optics over effective law enforcement and public safety.
Political consequences loom as well.
Pritzker is frequently mentioned as a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
Republicans suggest that the photo of him smiling next to an accused murderer could be used repeatedly as campaign fodder, highlighting the perceived failures of his criminal justice policies and raising questions about judgment and oversight at the highest levels of state government.
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