Image copyright Grambling State University Image caption The victims were shot in the courtyard of the dormitory on campus.

Two men have been shot dead on a university campus in the US state of Louisiana, police say.

They were fatally wounded in the courtyard of a dormitory at Grambling State University (GSU) following an altercation in a dorm room, according to university spokesman Will Sutton.

Police said a suspect fled the scene.

The victims, both 23, were named as Earl Andrews, a GSU student, and Monquiarious Caldwell, who did not attend the university.

Both men are from Farmerville, Louisiana, according to police.

Andrew's brother, Ledarius Heard, told the Associated Press news agency that the two men were friends from high school and cousins by marriage.

"Earl didn't bother nobody," he said about his brother, adding that he had planned to move to Texas after graduation to be closer to his one-year-old son.

The Lincoln Parish Sheriff's Department said it was assisting campus police with an investigation, and the sheriff has pledged "extra patrol on and around GSU campus for the foreseeable future".

"This is not a random act, nor an act of terrorism," Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone told US media.

"It appears the victims and the suspect knew each other, and there was obviously bad blood. It's a tragedy," he said.

Authorities have not yet named any suspect.

A prayer vigil is planned for Wednesday night.

The incident occurred on the 5,000-student historically black college, which is celebrating an alumni event this week.

The university tweeted on Wednesday that "offices are open with normal business hours and students are expected to attend classes as scheduled".

Last month a student was wounded after he was shot in the arm by a visitor to the campus.