Pensioner Shot Twice in Head Boards Bus Unaware of Injuries
A 74-year-old pensioner was shot twice in the head with an air rifle while waiting at a bus stop in Cardiff, Wales, and boarded a bus before passengers noticed he was bleeding. Kasara Almasian, a retired car industry worker, survived the attack but has been left with severe anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, with the suspect still at large.
Traumatic Ordeal Unfolds at Bus Stop
Mr Almasian was following his daily routine of parking his Fiat Punto and walking to the bus stop on Priest Road, Newport Road, at approximately 2pm. As he walked down the road, he heard a loud bang and felt an impact, initially mistaking it for debris from a car tyre. He reached the bus stop shelter and touched the back of his head, discovering it was bleeding.
Just after the first pellet struck, a bus arrived at the stop. As Mr Almasian turned to face the bus, he felt a second shot hit the left side of his head, about an inch from his eye and ear. In the confusion, he boarded the bus heading for Cardiff city centre.
Medical Response and Police Investigation
A nurse at the GP office immediately sent him to A&E at the University Hospital of Wales, where he received a CT scan within 20 minutes. Doctors performed a one-hour operation under local anaesthetic to remove two metal pellets lodged in his skull.
Police attended the hospital and took a statement from Mr Almasian in response to his assault report. A spokesperson for South Wales Police stated that extensive enquiries, including CCTV reviews and house-to-house enquiries, were carried out, but no suspect was identified. The investigation will be reviewed if further lines of enquiry emerge.
Lasting Mental Health Impact
Mr Almasian described developing anxiety that worsened in the week after the attack, leading his doctors to prescribe anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication, which he continues to take. He also spoke with mental health services, who were concerned and helpful.
"I had anxiety for a week after and it was getting worse. I went to my doctors, and they prescribed me anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication which I’m still taking now," he said.With no suspect caught, Mr Almasian feels "mentally hurt" and struggles with unanswered questions. "I’m not thinking about it anymore, but the anxiety hasn’t gone, it’s still there with me," he added. "I really want to know the motivation. Why me? I just want to know why they did it."
Context and Changes in Behaviour
The number of people injured by air weapons has declined by 86% over the last decade in England and Wales, with 205 injuries from air weapon offences in the past year, making Mr Almasian's experience unusual.
Before the shooting in October 2025, Mr Almasian enjoyed walking around shops like Howells, Debenhams, and John Lewis as a retiree. The attack has altered his behaviour significantly; he now avoids the street where it happened and doubts he will ever return.
Mr Almasian came to Wales in 1975 to study Maritime Studies at Cardiff University, briefly returning to Iran but leaving due to the Islamic Revolution. The shooting marked his first experience with violence, highlighting the shocking nature of the incident in his otherwise peaceful life.
