I want to thank you all for responding appropriately to this question. Well done!

I'm tempted to lock this thread, but I'm going to be optimistic and leave it open. Don't make me regret that decision.

Input from Texas: yes, we could legally shoot a kidnapper we catch in the act to prevent him/her from succeeding in this crime. However we had better be dang sure this is a "real" kidnapping. It's a given that at some point one of my adopted daughters will yell "You're not my real dad!" at me while I try to drag her out of someplace. This has happened to EVERY adoptive parent I know...

-Blast