Washington, Oct 23 (IANS): A student of the University of Utah in the US was shot dead on campus and the suspect was still at large.

The fatal incident took place at around 9 p.m. on Monday when several students on campus reported having heard a male suspect arguing with a female student which was followed by gunshots, reports Xinhua news agency.

Until about 11.50 p.m., the campus was declared safe but the suspect, who was identified as 37-year-old Melvin Rowland, fled from the scene on foot.

"One student is confirmed deceased," the University tweeted midnight, adding all morning and evening classes would be cancelled on Tuesday.

The local Salt Lake City Tribune newspaper reported that when police arrived, they found the female student's body inside a car near the medical towers, and they believed she had a "previous relationship with" Rowland, who was convicted of attempted forcible sex abuse and enticing a minor over the internet in 2004.

The University of Utah was also the scene of a deadly shooting almost one year ago, when Austin Boutain fired five shots into a car, killing 23-year-old international student Chenwei Guo, a computer science major from China.

Boutain pleaded guilty in September and was sentenced to life in prison.