Calgary police escort Nathan Zuccherato, 22, to the arrest processing unit on Tuesday evening. (CBC)

A third man has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in connection with a New Year's Day, gang-related shooting in Calgary that left three dead.

Nathan Zuccherato, 22, walked into the downtown police headquarters with a lawyer Tuesday at around 9:30 a.m.

"He was placed under arrest, and since then, investigators have been speaking with him about the shooting and continue to do so," confirmed Calgary police Insp. Guy Slater before the charges were laid.

Len Zuccherato, the man's father, said that his son decided to turn himself in after learning that police considered him a suspect in the killings.

"There was going to be a warrant put out for his arrest today if he did not turn himself in today," he told CBC News in an interview. "Nathan … was willing to turn himself in — not to plead guilty, but to plead his innocence."

He said his son claims he was shopping with friends at a mall, and nowhere near the shootings on Jan. 1.

Masked gunmen opened fire at this southeast restaurant on Jan. 1, killing three Calgary men. (CBC)

"I absolutely asked him if he did it, and he said no."

Two other men have already been charged in connection to the shootings at the southeast Bolsa Vietnamese Restaurant.

Michael Roberto, 25, and Real Honorio, 25, face three counts each of first-degree murder. Both men were on bail and under firearms prohibitions in relation to unrelated charges at the time of the shootings.

Investigators have said at least three masked gunmen were involved in the attack that killed Sanjeev Mann, a 22-year-old man described by police as a known gang member, his friend Aaron Bendle, 21, and bystander Keni Su'a, 43.

Injured in gun battle

Zuccherato was one of four men injured during a gun battle in Chinatown on Nov. 16, 2008. They were in a vehicle when another group in an SUV opened fire.

Four men, aged 17 to 31, were charged with four counts each of attempted murder and causing bodily harm with intent.

The exchange was part of an escalating, violent feud between two rival groups — Fresh Off the Boat (FOB) and FOB Killers (FK) — who started off as friends in high school.

The Crown alleges the Chinatown attack was retaliation for the daylight shooting death of FK member Mark Kim on New Year's Eve 2008.

Not a gangster, but a 'gang friend'

Len Zuccherato acknowledged his son's run-ins with the law — including a conviction for cocaine trafficking, for which he completed a prison term in 2007 — but said he doesn't believe Zuccherato is part of a gang.

"I don't believe he's a gang member, no," he said. When pressed further, he called his son a "gang friend. I think there's probably thousands in the city that are gang friends."

He also took issue with how police label people.

"If you are moving small amounts of cocaine, are you then a member of the FOB, you know? If you're carrying a gun are you a member of the FOB or the FK, you know? Like how do you label these guys?"

Attended Calgary high schools

Born in Calgary, Nathan Zuccherato went to a few high schools before he got his Grade 12 equivalency diploma while serving time in the Drumheller Institution.

Described by his father as "a good, loving, big-hearted kid," Zuccherato was involved in church youth groups, snowboarding and Little League baseball.

Len Zuccherato said he believes his son, who had moved outside of the province, was trying to turn his life around and was working a regular job.

He said as far as he's aware, his son does not know Honorio and is a casual friend of Roberto.