Police initially reported three people had died and four were injured, but one of the injured victims died at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, according to hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Wetzel.

The man entered the Waffle House in Antioch, a suburb of Nashville, and opened fire shortly before 3.30am local time.

In a statement, police said: “A patron wrestled away the gunman’s rifle. He was nude and fled on foot.”

Officers described the man as white, with short hair.

He was wearing nothing but a green jacket, which he removed before fleeing on foot.

Police say he was armed with an AR-15 style assault rifle.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a statement that 29-year-old Travis Reinking, of Morton, Illinois was a person of interest.

The car driven by the gunman was registered under his name.

Police were searching for the man early on Sunday and it was unclear if he was armed with another weapon.

A man believed to be Reinking was last seen on Mountain Springs Drive near the Waffle House, wearing black trousers and no shirt, police said.

They have urged the public to be vigilant and warned that he is to be considered still armed and extremely dangerous.

AR-15 assault rifles are commonly used in mass shootings in America.

The same gun was used by Nikolas Cruz who opened fire at a Florida school killing 17 people in February.

Stephen Paddock also used the same rifle to kill at least 59 people attending a concert from his hotel window in Las Vegas in October 2017.

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