BROOKLYN, N.Y. - In the wake of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is calling on off-duty police officers to arm themselves when they go into houses of worship.

He made his comments at a news conference with Jewish leaders Sunday.

"I will bring my handgun every time I enter a church or synagogue to worship and I'm calling for other officers who are off-duty to do the same. We cannot continue to standby and watch innocent people lose their lives to sick people who are carrying handguns and shooting innocent people in the fashion that we saw," Adams said.

Meanwhile, federal prosecutors say they will seek approval to pursue the death penalty against accused Pittsburgh synagogue gunman Robert Bowers.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has to sign off on the plan.

Bowers is facing 29 federal counts, including multiple hate crimes charges.

He's also charged with 11 state counts of homicide.

Police say he walked into the "Tree of Life" synagogue Saturday morning and began shooting at worshipers.

Eleven people were killed and another six were injured.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto says the city is in mourning, but vows it will recover.

"We know that we as a society are better than this. We know that hatred will never win out that those that try to divide us because of the way that we pray or where our families are from around the world will lose," Peduto said.

Bowers was shot several times by responding police officers.

He's still in the hospital but it expected to appear in court this afternoon.