59-year-old Elisabeth Salm who was assaulted in downtown Ottawa on Thursday has died.

Police say the attack on Laurier Avenue West around 1 p.m. Nearby business owners say paramedics treated and transported a patient from Christian Science Reading Room, a bookstore and a quiet place for study and prayer.

Ottawa Police said the investigation is now being treated as a homicide.

Salm's connection to the Christian Science Reading Room has not been released. One nearby business owner, however, says a woman was working on her own at the shop yesterday.

Police are asking anyone who interacted with the victim on Thursday between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to contact them.