Cape Town - A Philippi East man has been charged with negligence for allegedly failing to properly store a loaded gun his 13-year-old son took to school.

According to police, the pupil - who cannot be named because he is a minor - took the firearm from his father’s drawer. The “legal” gun was loaded with five rounds of ammunition, the police said.

The pupil allegedly brought the gun to Phakama High School to show to his friends. Subsequently, the police have charged the son with possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Philippi East police spokeswoman Nondumiso Paul confirmed that the pupil would appear in court on Wednesday and be released into his mother’s care pending the outcome of the court case. Paul said the school principal had told her the boy was seen by the school caretaker with two of his friends, playing with the firearm.

The matter was reported to the principal, who called the police.