LCSO arrests Mason Valley man for murder

A Mason Valley man was arrested Thursday in connection with the shooting death of his wife in March.

Dustin Cooper, 27, is charged with first degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon and has a no bail hold. He is currently being held in the Lyon County Detention Center in Yerington. According to a media release, United States postal inspectors assisted with the arrest. Along with the FBI, they provided assistance and support during the nine-month investigation.

According to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of a gunshot on March 22 on Stanley Lane in Mason Valley. When deputies arrived at the scene, the LCSO said they found Cooper’s wife, 26-year-old Johnie Shadden, had died from a gunshot wound.

The LCSO confiscated a number of Cooper’s weapons that were in his possession for repairs. The LCSO — along with the Lyon County District Attorney’s Office and the The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) — is working for the release of the weapons. The LCSO said owners will be notified of the date and location to pick up their weapons.