A nationwide hunt is underway in the U.S for a university professor from Athens, Georgia, who shot dead his ex-wife and two other people outside a local theatre on Saturday aftermoon.

George Zinkhan, a 57-year-old business studies professor at Georgia University opened fire on his ex-wife Marie Bruce, 47, and her two friends after getting into an argument with one of his three victims outside the Athens Community Theatre, near the university campus.

Ms Bruce and the two other victimsTom Tanner, 40 and Ben Teague, 63, all belonged to the Town & Gown Players, a community theatre group, members of whom had gathered for an annual reunion when the shooting occurred.

Mr Zinkhan began arguing with one of the three, left briefly and returned with two handguns, according to Athens-Clarke police spokesman Captain Clarence Holeman. He fired several shots at the trio, wounding two other people with shrapnel.

The professor, a marketing specialist, left his two young children in the car when he opened fire on the group, said Captain Holeman. He later dropped the children at a neighbour's place, and left after saying there was an emergency.

Robert Covington said Mr Zinkhan dropped his son and daughter off at his house, asking him and his wife to watch the children for about an hour.

Mr Covington said when he asked Zinkhan's daughter, who is about 10 years old, about the emergency; "all she would relate to me was there was something about a firecracker."

One witness to the incident claimed the gunman shot one of his victims, Tom Tanner, in the front and again in the back.

“At 22 you’re not supposed to watch people die,” said John Hardy, the father of a witness to the shootings.

Mr Zinkhan appeared to target his victims, Rick Bedell, an actor with the Town and Gown Players, told the Athens Banner-Herald newspaper.

“It was deliberate,” said Mr Bedell. “He shot these three people specifically and walked out.

“They were good people, and I have no idea why (Mr Zinkhan) went nuts,” he said.

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