A puller assembly for removing a shield from around a needle of a syringe. The puller assembly includes a grip component and a cap. The grip component has a tubular body defining an interior hollow which axially receives the shield. The tubular body has a slit that allows it to be forcibly shifted from a first arrangement to a second arrangement to change the size of the interior hollow. The tubular body includes a radial inner face with at least one radial inward projection for directly engaging the shield. The cap is grippable by a user. The grip component is held by the cap when inserted within a cavity of the cap during manufacturing installation, and when so held at least one radial inward projection of the grip component engages the shield for removal of the shield from around the needle when the cap is moved. A method of mounting a puller assembly to a shield around a needle is also disclosed.