The Bakersfield Police Department has set up a 24-hour phone line as detectives look for tips in a shooting that left a 5-year-old child dead and a 7-year-old child wounded.

A 5-year-old was shot and killed Thursday night in a drive-by shooting in the 600 block of California Avenue.

The phone line will be staffed 24 hours per day by detectives and anyone with information can call 326-3553.

Citizens can also provide information anonymously through text message by simply entering 274637 into your phone and text BPDCRIMES along with your message.

The Secret Witness Program is offering a reward of up to $5,000.00 for information leading to the arrest and filing of a complaint against the suspect or suspects. The Secret Witness phone line operates 24 hours a day and secrecy is guaranteed to those who call. Anyone with information is urged to call:322-4040

Bakersfield Police said the 5-year-old, the sex of the child has not been released, and a 7-year-old child was also wounded in the shooting.

Police said they were called at 7:46 p.m. to the California Avenue location where they found numerous spent shell casings. Police were later alerted that two children had been taken to a undisclosed Bakersfield hospital with gunshot wounds.

In a release, police said the children were in a vehicle that was traveling along California Avenue when an unknown suspect fired into the car with the children. Police said the only description of the suspect vehicle is that it’s a dark colored four-door sedan.

The name of the deceased victim will be released by the Kern County Coroner’s Office. Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call Detective Keegan Gavin (661) 326-3557 or the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 327-7111.