An 18-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal daytime beating of an Ottawa librarian.

Tyler Hikoalok has been arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder in the death of 59-year-old Elisabeth Salm. He made his first court appearance on Monday morning and is expected to appear by video on June 5.

Salm was discovered with life-threatening injuries at the Christian Science Reading Room in downtown Ottawa on the afternoon of May 24. She later died in hospital.

Hikoalok is an aspiring hip-hop artist from Nunavut who had been living in Ottawa for the last few years, CTV Ottawa reported Monday. Friends of his said he spent much of his life bouncing between foster homes and spent the past six months living on the streets.

A member of Tr1be Music, the group Hikoalok performs with, was at court on Monday where he told CTV Ottawa the news of his friend’s arrest comes as a huge shock as he isn’t known to be a violent man.

A source within the Ottawa Police Service had previously told CTV News that investigators would likely look into his mental health.

Mike Smith, Hikoalok’s lawyer, told The Canadian Press his client is stressed and confused.

Salm’s family made a brief statement outside court where they expressed thanks for the arrest, but are asking for privacy.

With files from CTV Ottawa and The Canadian Press