Is it fair that a California teen was expelled for shotguns found in his truck?

What's a rural boy to do? After spending the morning duck hunting, he's late for school, so he parks his truck near his school and leaves his unloaded guns and ammunition in the back.
This situation, especially in areas where hunting is common, happens frequently. This time it got Gary Tudesko, age 16, expelled from school, even though he parked his truck off campus.

At Willows High School, firearms are not allowed within 1,000 feet of a school zone. Tudesko was parked within that zone. Campus scent-sniffing dogs discovered the firearms and police were notified. Tudesko's mother, Susan Parisio, is upset that her son was expelled, citing that her son was only trying to get to school on time, and that he was "not even parked on school property." Willows High Principal Mort Geivett stands by his decision. "I'm erring on the safe side of protecting staff and kids," he told a local news station. 

Is this another example of zero tolerence out of control?