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One person has been confirmed dead and at least three others were wounded after a lone gunman opened fire in Seattle Pacific University.

The gunman, who is now in custody, reportedly walked into one of the school's buildings and started shooting. While reloading his gun and and after fatally wounding one victim, a student security guard pepper sprayed him.

"A student who is the the building monitor inside the hall confronted the shooter, was able to subdue the individual," said Seattle police incident Cmdr. Chris Fowler. "And once on the ground, other students jumped on top of him and were able to pin him to the ground until police arrived," he added.

Four students, including the 20-year-old man who died shortly, were brought to the Harborview Medical Center. Another 20-year-old was reportedly in critical condition and undergoing surgery. A 24-year-old and a 22-year old suffered minor injuries and were in a "satisfactory condition."

Police said that the 26-year-old gunman, who was armed with a shotgun with ammunition and a knife, is not a student in the school. His motive is still unknown, and his name will only be revealed once he is formally charged.

"This story is not about an evil act but about the people that actually lived through this scenario and assisted each other when things were pretty tragic," said Seattle police Asst. Chief Paul McDonagh.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray told reporters that this day should have been a celebration of the end of the school year. Rather, it became a tragic day of loss.

Talking about the gun violence problem in the United States, Murray said: "Friends, we have been here before - Cafe Racer, the shootings on Capitol Hill, the shooting at the Jewish Federation - this is tragic moment for Seattle and tragic moment for America once again."

Seattle Pacific University is a small Christian university concentrating on liberal arts, sciences, and professions that has a population of about 4,000 students.

The school has cancelled classes for Thursday and Friday.