Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown went door to door Thursday evening in Riverside in response to a recent rash of violence in the neighborhood.

About 6 p. m., the mayor, accompanied by city and police officials, entertained the concerns of residents living on Ontario and Philadelphia streets and Evelyn Avenue.

“We, impromptu, did one of our WAVE[Working Against Violent Events] activities in the Riverside area,” Brown said. “We talked to a lot of people and we assured them our police department is here to work with them . . . and let them know we take criminal events in the city very seriously.”

Last Friday afternoon, Anthony Colon, 20, of Busti Avenue, was fatally shot at Ullman Street and Roesch Avenue. About 12:15 p. m. Tuesday, Luis A. Padilla, 19, was shot in the stomach near Ontario and Evelyn. He remains in critical condition in Erie County Medical Center.