One man was killed and three women wounded in an on-campus shooting stemming from a fight over a dice game on the campus of Tennessee State University.

Nineteen-year-old Cameron Selmon died in the Thursday night shooting. He was not enrolled at the school, police spokesman Don Aaron said. It was not known whether the shooter, who fled the scene, was a student.

The shooting occurred in a courtyard around 10.50pm. Witnesses said an argument over the dice game boiled over into a fistfight when "suddenly shots were fired," Mr Aaron said.

Three female students were struck during the shooting. One was grazed and did not require medical attention, while two others were taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Centre with injuries.

One had been released by Friday morning, while the other was in stable condition and was expected to make a full recovery, Mr Aaron said.

"This was an isolated shooting incident in a courtyard," Mr Aaron said. "There were never, we believe, any other students in danger in dormitories or elsewhere on campus."

Several students used their phones to record the fight. Police have obtained some video, but encouraged other students who scattered when the shooting began to come forward with further recordings and information.

Police did not yet have a description of the suspect, and could not say whether an exchange of gunfire occurred until the evidence is analysed.

The incident comes just over a week after three people were wounded by gunfire at an off-campus party across the street from the school.