Bridgeport — Police expect "in the very near future" to arrest at least one of those responsible for shooting 13 people at a party over the weekend, the police chief said.

Everyone survived the shooting, which left a woman — who had been shot in the face — in critical but stable condition, city spokesman Av Harris said.

"They're optimistic that she is going to pull through," he said Monday.

It was the highest number of people shot in Bridgeport in recent memory, he said.

"We're very, very lucky nobody was killed," Harris said. "This is obviously a horrific and very serious event. And police are working around the clock and relentlessly following every lead that they have in pursuit of identifying a suspect and making an arrest."

"So far, we've been getting good cooperation," he said. There are many witnesses.

Police have stepped up patrols in the area and are gathering information from witnesses and victims.

The likelihood of an arrest is so strong, Chief Armando J. Perez said Sunday, "We are going to have an arrest in the very near future."

The 13 people were shot early Sunday by at least two shooters who hid behind hedges outside a house party on Plymouth Street, Bridgeport police said.

The party at 19 Plymouth St. was so crowded that some people believed the gunshots were fireworks, Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.

Police have not identified a motive and are investigating whether the suspects were partygoers, Fitzgerald said.

As of Sunday afternoon, all but five of the victims had been released from hospitals. Most of the victims were shot in the legs. The most seriously injured person was the woman in critical condition, who had injuries to her face and jaw, according to authorities.

Police said the victims ranged in age from about 18 to 24.

The people who threw the party have not been named by police. They had requested a permit from police ahead of the gathering because they wanted to sell alcohol there, but the permit was denied, according to Perez.

Harris said the reason for the denial was that the address was the scene of other incidents that attracted the attention of police, such as loud parties and domestic violence.

Police believe they charged for alcohol anyway. They may face criminal charges, Fitzgerald said.

"People had wristbands," Harris said.

U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy released statements condemning the violence in the wake of the shooting.

"The news of last night's mass shooting in Bridgeport is infuriating — I'm simply unable to contemplate the evil behind such contempt for human life," Murphy said in the statement. "I'm overwhelmingly grateful that surprisingly no lives were lost. I thank Bridgeport's first responders and emergency services for their outstanding professionalism and effectiveness in times of crisis. I stand with the people of Bridgeport and local law enforcement as they investigate this attempted mass murder and bring the perpetrators to justice."

Blumenthal, who along with Murphy has been outspoken on gun control efforts, said: "More trauma, more tragedy. Every day more Americans are injured or killed by a bullet is more graphic evidence — unwelcome and unwanted — of the urgent need for common sense gun violence prevention measures. Congress is complicit in this scourge by its inexcusable inaction. The victims in Bridgeport are among tens of thousands shooting casualties every year. No one is immune to this public health crisis as it rips apart communities near and far."

The investigation of the shooting continues. Anyone who has information about it is asked to call the police department's anonymous tip line, 203-576- 8477 (TIPS).

An Associated Press report is included in this story.