Three people are dead and a fourth is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after an early-morning shooting involving an armoured car at the University of Alberta and the suspect remains at large.

Police say they were called to Hub Mall, a combined shopping mall and student residence on the eastern part of the university's north campus, just after midnight for reports of shots fired. When officers arrived, they found three people dead and fourth in critical condition, "the result of an apparent robbery at one of

the financial institutions in the mall," Edmonton police spokesman Scott Pattison said Friday morning.

The suspect in the case remains at large.

The deceased are believed to be two men and a woman who were employees of an armoured car company.

The university said in a statement early Friday morning that there was an armoured car robbery on campus and that Hub Mall is closed until further notice.

Exams are proceeding as regularly scheduled, the university said.