- May 2 Junior Seau, American Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker (12 x Pro Bowl; 6 × First-team All-Pro; NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1992; SD Chargers), commits suicide at 43
- May 5 Raman Surendranath, Indian cricket fast bowler (11 Tests, 26 wickets), dies at 75
- May 10 Carroll Shelby, American auto racer who won LeMans 1959; and automobile designer Ford Shelby Mustang, Shelby GT, Dodge Shelby Charger, Dodge Viper, dies at 89
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